Behind The Bleachers
by misluce
Summary: 'Luckily for her, her lab partner was intelligent and hardworking, so at least that would make the year easier, and maybe more fun. Of course, she was really angry that she had moved, but maybe the year wouldn't be so bad. Would it? ' Being the new girl is always difficult, Callie knew that. But just maybe Arizona Robbins could make it a whole lot easier. Calzona High school AU.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is a new multi-chap story that has been in my head for a while! I hope you enjoy it, feel free to leave any comments :) updates should be at least once a week, if not more!_ **  
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* * *

 _Chapter 1_

Callie Torres was _not_ looking forward to being the new girl. She had watched countless times as new comers arrived at her school, most of them slightly awkward as they gained unwanted attention and pointed stares, whispers filling the hallways as they walked. She'd always sat back and not really paid much attention to them, sometimes joining in conversation about said new comers with her friends, but rarely caring. She'd never even thought about the fact that it may one day be her in their shoes, starting a new High school. She had lived in Miami her whole life, growing up in the same neighbourhood, around the same people, and _moving_ was never something that had crossed her mind. _Never._ Her family were more than happy living where they were, in their large house with their large grounds, and Callie had just assumed that they always would live there. She had imagined travelling back to Miami from College to visit her parents and older sister, spending the holidays surrounding by her friends and family that she had grown up with. She was content with her life, and the idea that her life would _change_ this dramatically had never occured to her.

Until her Father had told her at the beginning of her Summer break that they would be moving to Baltimore, Maryland.

Her Father, Carlos, was a very wealthy business man. He owned a branch of Hotels called the Archfield, which were now worldwide (meaning the family could travel almost anywhere they wanted) and travelled a lot for business, but never to the extent that he was away for too long. He loved Miami too much. Or that's what he had said.

"Moving? Really?" Callie had said, dumbstruck when her Father told her of the upcoming plans. She had been eating dinner, a simple dish of homemade enchiladas, and her fork had fallen out of her hand, clanging on the china as it hit the plate.

Her Mother had winced at the sound, a look of upmost disgust appearing across her aging face, but Callie ignored it, staring at her Father.

"We are opening up a new hotel in Baltimore," he'd told her, twirling his fork around his own food that was in front of him. "And I want to see it through. A change in scenery is going to be good for us Calliope."

Callie frowned at that, folding her arms across her chest. Her Father opened new hotels every year, his business constantly expanding, yet they had never moved before. She didn't want to leave. She was going into her senior year of High school, and she desperarely wanted to spend that with her friends. She had considered throwing that out there in an attempt to maybe change her Father's mind, but she knew arguing with her Father was not going to change anything. She had then thought about calling Aria to ask for advice on the matter (her older sister was away at College doing who knows what) but Aria would most likely agree with her parents.

So that was how Callie Torres found herself standing in the front yard of her new house in centre of Baltimore. It was large, modern, and similar to that of her old home, her family's worth clearly showing to all those who would walk by. She shuffled her feet, looking curiously at the street before her, biting her lip wondering what to do next. Her parents were inside, making themselves comfortable in their new house, emptying boxes with the help of delivery men. The sun baked down on Callie's bare shoulders (she was wearing only a tank top and cut off jeans) and she bit her lip. She was certain she wasn't going to like it here, absolutely _certain._ But still, she couldn't help but give in to the constant ache of wanting to explore the neighbourhood that was her new home. Deciding to go, she shoved her hands in her back pockets, and stepped off the front porch.

She wasn't going to like it here.

* * *

"Oh come _on,"_ Arizona Robbins laughed, as she jogged round the corner, her legs moving at a steady pace. "It was a summer fling, that's all. You know blondes aren't my type."

"Is Lauren aware of that?" Teddy Altman asked, speeding up to catch up with her friend, her white sneakers coming in to line with the baby blue ones that belonged to Arizona. "I think she believes it's more than that."

Arizona rolled her eyes, continuing to move. "She is _very_ aware of that. We hung out a few times over the summer, that's all."

Teddy snickered. "Yeah, everyone saw you 'hanging out' over in the park the other day."

Arizona came to a halt on another corner, stopping to catch a breath. She placed her hands on her knees, bending forward slightly as she gulped down fresh oxygen, before raising her clear blue eyes to her friend, who was laughing at her despite also breathing very heavily.

"I told you! It was a _fling._ Lauren's nice and all, but we are _not_ in a relationship."

Arizona liked Lauren. Truthfully she did. The girl was attractive enough and _definitely_ knew a thing or two. She was fun, energetic, but that was all Lauren was. She _wasn't_ the type of girl Arizona would bring home to her parents. She _wasn't_ the type of girl Arizona would walk along the street holding hands with. She just _wasn't_ the type of girl Arizona would be in a relationship with. Not that Arizona had experienced a fair share of relationships. She had only ever had one real relationship (which had not lasted very long however, due to her family constantly moving around the country, and in some cases, the _world_ ), but she had been involved in a few flings here and there. Well, more than a _few,_ but nothing too serious, just a bit of goofing around if anyone was up for it. Arizona was _very_ open with her sexuality, coming out to her parents when she was 15 years old, and wasn't afraid of anyone knowing about it. In fact, the first thing she wanted people to be aware of when she moved to a new place was her sexuality _(it quickly got rid of most of the annoying guys that would try and hit on the newbie, although some still tried it out- making out with a Lesbian was something a few jackasses wanted to try)._

She had moved to Baltimore last January, her Father promising her that they would stay in Baltimore until she graduated, something which was definitely a shock; she was used to moving around and didn't know what it meant to be commited to a place. However, she was soon very happy with the decision after becoming close friends with Teddy, who was in her math and biology class. She got on well with Teddy, both sharing similiar ambitions for the future, and Teddy was on the cheer team and had encouraged her to try out. She had made it onto the team, something which definitely made her happy and feel like she was part of something. Being on the team also had encouraged Arizona to keep fit and bring about her love of jogging, which was why her and Teddy was jogging around the neighbourhood that sunny afternoon.

"Did you break it off with her?" Teddy asked, resuming the conversation about Lauren as she stretched her arms above her head.

"I shouldn't have to break a fling off," Arizona muttered in response. "It should just die. Like a candle being blown out."

Teddy rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm gonna head home, Mom's invited Owen for dinner again."

Arizona grinned. "Oooh, and you're saying I'm the one in a relationship."

"Shut up!" Teddy retorted, but her cheeks flushed pink, which wasn't from the running.

Arizona smirked at her, and Teddy gave her arm a playful shove and stuck her tongue out, before turning around and walking across the road. Arizona sighed, stretching her arms out in front of her, before deciding to continue jogging home. She quickly tightened her ponytail, stretched her legs a bit, before jogging lightly.

She liked the neighbour hood she lived in. It was friendly and welcoming, and her family had settled in very quickly. She lived with her Mother and Father alone, now her older brother Tim had moved out and joined the Army. He'd been deployed the first time at the beginning of the year, when they had first moved to Baltimore. She missed her old brother. Tim was like her better half. He looked very similiar to her, sharing the same blonde hair and Robbins family dimples, although his blue eyes were a tad darker than hers. But Tim was her closest friend. Then again, with her family constantly moving around, Tim had to be. He was one of the only consistent people in her life. And now he was gone too. She had been very mad when he'd enlisted. How could he do that? Put his life at risk like that? She had told him she would never talk to him again, but that had lasted all of 5 minutes. She loved Tim. She really, _really_ loved him. And she couldn't live without him.

Arizona sighed as she turned a corner. Her thoughts were entirely focused on her brother that she was hardly paying attention to what was going on around her, and it was that which made her run into a person walking in the opposite direction.

Luckily for the both of them, Arizona hadn't been running too fast, so no one fell completely to the ground. However, Arizona herself did stumble a bit, and it was only hands on either side of her shoulders that steadied her and helped her find her feet.

She settled her feet firmly on the floor, raising her head to see the stranger she had bumped into, meaning to apologise.

Instead, she found herself staring into dark brown eyes, which reminded her of that warm, delicious hot chocolate that her Mother made during winter, with whipped cream on top. The stranger was a teenage girl, maybe around the same age as her, who had delicously tanned skin and long dark hair that flowed effortlessly past her shoulders. She was wearing a dark green tank top, (which showed a nice amount of cleavage that Arizona found herself struggling to keep her eyes away from), and jeans that cut off at her knees, and Arizona's first thought was that she was _beautiful._

The stranger's hands were still on Arizona's shoulders, and Arizona noticed the girl blush as she removed them and swung them awkwardly at her sides.

"Sorry about that," Arizona said sheepishly, brushing her hands on her bare legs.

"It's fine, don't worry about it," the brunette replied, giving her a light smile. Her voice was soft, but also riddled with nerves Arizona couldn't help but notice.

"I was lost in thought," Arizona laughed, unsure why she was stating the obvious. The brunette simply raised an eyebrow in response.

They started at each other for a few more moments, until Arizona decided she really should get home and staring at a random person wasn't helping her do that. Not that she could help it. She was gay after all, and even with the girl being very awkward and seeming to be unsure of how to hold her body, she still found her mesmirizing.

"Sorry again," Arizona said weakly, smiling lightly as she stepped passed the girl. The girl simply nodded her head, giving Arizona a half smile, before continuing on her way.

Arizona watched her walk away, caught up in the moment, before rolling her eyes, and beginning to jog again.

* * *

Callie bit her lip awkwardly as she stood at the front desk, her hands clasped together in front of her. It had been a week since she'd arrived in her new neighbourhood, and it was the first day back at school after summer break. She'd driven to school in her T-bird that her Father had luckily got sent out for her, and had parked in the school parking lot, definitely getting some stares as she stepped out, whether because she was a new student, or because her car was most likely worth more than every other car put together. The school she was attending for her last year of High school wasn't a private school like she had attended back in Miami; the closest private school was over an hours drive away from their house. But the school she was attending had a very good reputation, and her parents had decided that for her last year, it would do. She didn't really care where she was going, she was just mad that she'd been forced to leave.

She had spoken to Addison the night before, her best friend having given her advice on how to go with being the girl (not that Addison had ever been a new girl before).

"Make sure you stand out. Where an outfit that really highlights your legs, trust me," the rehead had told her, while she had laid on her stomach the night before, flipping through her biology book.

"I don't want to look like a slut," Callie had muttered in response.

In the end, she had settled for a pair of black denim shorts, a red tank top, and her signature leather jacket. She didn't feel too out of place, she noticed, as she glanced around her. Most students were wearing shorts and tanktops, except for a few girls she noticed who were wearing cheerleading outfits.

"Hey, you must be Calliope!" A cheerful voice said from her right, and she turned to see a girl, slightly shorter than herself, with red hair and a wide happy eyes, smiling at her. Her red hair was tied in a tight high ponytail, and she was wearing one of the cheerleading outfits Callie had noticed others wearing.

"Callie's just fine," Callie murmured awkwardly, linking her hands in front of her.

The girl struck her hand forward. "Alright Callie. I'm April Kepner, I help out at the front desk Mondays and Wednesdays."

Callie extended her hand, raising her eyebrow at the way the girl, April, shook her hand so firmly. The girl was perky, far too happy for a girl coming back to school after summer break.

"Here's your class schedule. You can begin going to home room tomorrow morning, we marked you in here at the office. You have AP biology first which is great because I'm in your class and I can show you the way! Have you found your locker yet?"

After answering no and having April point out her locker to her, Callie found herself following the smaller girl as the bell went, leading them to their first class.

April opened the door, letting Callie walk in first. Callie looked around the room at the varying students. It was two students to a desk, so it seemed, and the class had already been paired up with their lab partners for the next year. Callie frowned, her eyes searching for empty desks, trying to figure out who she was going to be working with.

"Mrs Bailey, this is Callio- Callie Torres, she's the new student Mr Webber informed you about," April stammered as she filled in the teacher, a short black woman, whos eyes found Callie's immediately.

"Miss Torres, you will find that there is a space for you at the back of the class, next to Miss Robbins," the teacher told her, her eyes already falling back to the book she had on her desk.

Callie quietly made her way towards the back of the classroom, carefully avoiding anyones eyes, although she could certainly feel the eyes trailing her. When she reached the end, her eyes finding the only free desk, she swung her backpack off of her shoulder, placing it by one of the legs of the table. She then slipped round to the other side, sliding onto the stool, then shifting her eyes for the first time to the girl sitting beside her, who was going to be her lab partner for senior year.

She was met with familiar bright blue eyes staring into hers, which for some reason made her mouth go dry. The girls lips drew into a smile, her dimples popping, and she laughed, flicking her blonde curly hair, that was tied up in a ponytail, over her shoulder, but keeping her eyes locked on Callie's.

"I believe we have run into each other before," the blonde said, grinning at her.

"If I recall it correctly, you ran into _me_ ," Callie replied easily, ignoring the feeling of butterflies in her stomach that she didn't quite understand.

"Details details," the girl chuckled, her eyes shifting away from Callie's for the first time since Callie had sat down as she opened her text book up to the right page.

Callie watched her, her eyes trailing down the girls body, realising that she too was wearing a cheerleading outfit. Callie had never been a cheerleader, and she had never wanted to. She wasn't one of _those_ girls. She wasn't someone who was confident enough in her own body to jump around performing in front of other people. She could tell why the blonde was though. The girl sitting next to her was attractive, her blonde hair, blue eyes and dimples definitely working well for her. Callie also knew that the blonde was fit, remembering seeing her running, showing off her calf muscles and toned body. She had a _right_ to be showing off her body.

"I'm Arizona by the way," the blonde said, turning her attention back to Callie, after pinpointing the part of the book they needed to read. "'Figured it would be good if you knew my name if we're going to be lab partners for the next year."

The blonde, who Callie now knew to be called Arizona, smiled at her cheekily, and Callie rolled her eyes.

"I'm Callie," Callie replied, and Arizona immediately laughed.

"I knew that already, April practially shouted your name out when introducing you to Bailey."

Before Callie could reply, Bailey called the class to a hault in their conversations, the class beginning. Arizona immediately turned her attention to the front, twiddling her pen in her fingers, her eyes squinting slightly at the board. Callie copied her, her head turning to the front, and within minutes, both girls were scribbling notes down in their notepads.

The class went quite quickly, the topic of learning being mitosis and meosis, which Callie already knew off by heart, so it wasn't much for her to be up to speed. Arizona seemed to know a fair amount herself, which Callie was very thankful for. She knew that in AP Biology everyone would be intelligent, but she also knew you were bound to get classmates who couldn't be bothered to do the work. Luckily for her, her lab partner was intelligent _and_ hardworking, so at least that would make the year easier, and maybe more fun. Of course, she was really angry that she had moved, but maybe the year wouldn't be so bad. Would it?


	2. Chapter 2

_A:N: Another Chapter incredibly soon, but I really want to get this story up and running! Updates probably won't usually be this quick, but they should never be too long :) Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

 _Chapter 2_

Arizona groaned as she closed her locker, her head immediately dropping against the cool metal, her eyes squeezing shut. The first day back at school was nearly over. She had a free period last and was going to spend it hidden away in the library reading up on the notes she had made during her classes that day, before attending cheer practice after school. She was looking forward to the first practice back, and was also eager to learn who the new captain was. She had an inkling that Teddy would be made captain, being the longest and most hardworking member of the team, but she also knew it was never wise to try and predict what Coach would do. Arizona did know that her best friend deserved it, and she hoped that others realised that too.

"You alright there, Battleship?"

Speaking of the devil, Arizona raised her head and turned to her right to find Teddy leaning up against the lockers beside her. Arizona smiled a little at the infamous nickname Teddy had christened her with after she had told her the story behind her birth name. Teddy truly was the closest friend she had ever had, minus Tim of course, as the dirty blonde just seemed to understand her well. She was very grateful that her Father had promised they would stay in Baltimore until she finished school as the thought of leaving behind her best friend was almost too painful. She had already lost Tim afterall.

"I'm fine," Arizona replied softly, before her brow furrowed. "But I do think you were right about Lauren, she wouldn't leave me alone at lunch."

"I think we all saw her little show," Teddy laughed, grinning when Arizona glared at her.

It was true though. Lauren had been a little _friendly_ while their group of friends had eaten lunch together in the cafeteria. Between calling Arizona 'babe' and 'sweetheart' at almost every chance she had gotten, Lauren had also proceeded to kiss and lick the corner of Arizona's mouth to 'rid the smudge of ketchup' she had there, as Lauren had so delicately put it. Arizona had sent her a forced smile in return, and had lifted Lauren's hand, that was rested on her thigh, to Lauren's own lap. Arizona had then realised that Lauren _was_ one of those super clingy girls; the kind of girl that got attached and needy after sleeping together a few times, the kind of girl who wanted more even though the 'fling' part of what they had going on had been established.

"I should never have slept with her," Arizona muttered, sighing at her own stupidity.

"Damn right you shouldn't," Teddy said playfully, nudging Arizona's body with her own. "Now, forgetting about crazy girl, how's your new lab partner?"

Her mind drifting back to biology, Arizona couldn't help the small smile that ghosted over her lips. _Callie._ Callie was good at biology, that much Arizona knew from the way the dark haired girl had been mouthing the words along with Mrs Bailey, as though she had the content memorised, which Arizona didn't doubt. She had written detailed notes, her elegant script gliding along her page, making Arizona, who usually took pride in her handwriting, feel self conscious over her own neat scrawl. She remembered the way Callie had softly bitten down on her full lower lip as she concentrated, her eyes squinting slightly, looking utterly hot. Arizona had been sneaking glances at her new lab partner throughout the class, not that she could help it. The girl was hot, especially in those shorts that showed off her full legs, and that leather jacket that practically screamed sexy. Her tanned skin looked utterly delicious. All in all, Arizona was incredibly excited about working with Callie Torres. Smart and sexy. Could there even be a better combination?

"She's amazing," Arizona told Teddy, her smile growing. "She's incredibly smart, she basically already knew everything Bailey was teaching us. I mean, I do too, but that's _me._ She's going to be a perfect lab partner."

"Better than that O'Malley you had for the rest of the last year?"

Arizona scoffed. She'd been paired off with George O'Malley when she had first moved to Baltimore, his previous partner having dropped out of the class. George was intelligent, of course he was, but he was a _slow_ worker, meaning that a lot of time Arizona was having to bring him up to speed before they could start their project, thus giving them less time to work on said project. How they both managed to scrape through the year, she didn't know. Well truthfully she did; it was thanks to _her._

"Is that even a question? She's intelligent, doesn't ask me a million questions, and this year I'm certain that our projects are going to be the best. Not to mention that she's freaking sex on legs."

Arizona said the last line with a wink, her mind flipping back to Callie's legs. _God,_ she had killer legs.

Teddy laughed at her friend, before something caught her eye over Arizona's shoulder, and she leaned closer to her. "I'd be careful about what you say about other girls when your girlfriend's around."

"Girlfr-?"

Before she could finish her sentence, Arizona felt an arm snake around her waist, and a kiss drop on the bare skin of her neck.

"Hey babe."

Arizona forced a smile, as she moved to the side, her eyes connecting with those of Lauren Boswell's. The darker blonde didn't seem to realise that Arizona's smile wasn't genuine, as she leaned in and softly planted her lips on Arizona's. Arizona held back the grimace that was fighting to make it's way onto her mouth. Lauren _could_ kiss. She could kiss well. That wasn't the problem. The problem was the use of pet names and the fact that she just strolled up and kissed her in the middle of the hallway, like it was her _right._ It was in that moment that Arizona knew she had to break off whatever they had going on, despite her reservations of doing so, as there was no way she wanted her summer fling to become a full blown relationship. She didn't want that, certainly not with Lauren.

"Hey," Arizona let out, bile rising in the back of her throat at the look of pure affection in Lauren's eyes. "I was just about to go to the library to study, so I'll see you in practice after school. Okay, bye."

She shot Lauren a quick smile, before shooting Teddy a dark look, and then grabbed her backpack and walked quickly down the hallway. She was walking so quickly that she didn't realise that the beautiful brunette who was on her mind was leaned against a locker just across from hers.

* * *

Callie had spent lunch with April Kepner, and her best friend Reed Adamson. The red head had seen her lining up for food awkwardly on her own, and had quickly decided to accompany her. April was nice, Callie realised, and only slightly annoying. She could deal with slightly annoying if it meant she didn't have to sit alone at lunch and look like a total loser. After she had eaten, she had left April and Reed to go to her locker and get her books for her last class, which was European History. She had managed, with the help of a map she had found on her cellphone, to direct herself back towards her locker. She dumped in her books that she no longer needed, and pulled out the exceptionally large text book that she just knew was going to weigh down her backpack. Callie sighed, closing her locker, and leaned back against it, closing her eyes.

"Mark Sloan, pleasure to meet you."

Callie frowned, opening one eye to see a boy standing in front of her, a smug smile on his lips. He was close to her, far too close than she liked, and she could smell the peppermint on his breath. His arm was on the side of her locker as he leant in towards her, and she rolled her eyes as she ducked under his arm, leaning on the other side. He was good looking, that was certain, but she didn't like the arrogance that was apparent in his features.

"Callie Torres," she replied stiffly. She didn't like the way Mark was looking at her. It was as if he was undressing her with his eyes, and the thought made her uncomfortable.

He stared at her for a moment, before groaning and pulling back. "Not working on you, huh?"

Mark's whole demeanor changed in an instant, his hands stuffing themselves into his jean pockets. He continued to stand tall, but he was no longer the standing in the same overconfident way that he had been a few seconds previously, something Callie was grateful for.

"Not at all."

She smirked at the fallen look on his face, a soft chuckle making its way out her lips.

"Worth a shot though, right?"

"Oh definitely," Callie laughed, amused at the encounter, as opposed to the sickly feeling that had taken over at first. As she continued to laugh, she noticed a head of blonde hair over Mark's shoulder, her eyes finding that of Arizona Robbins. The dimple popping teen was standing with another girl who had a head of dark blonde hair, the trendy cheer uniform hugging her body. Arizona's own uniform showed off her body tremendously, like Callie knew it would. It showed off her slim waist and long pale legs, not to mention also the creamy shoulders she had noticed early on during biology. It was no doubt that Arizona was hot, and Callie found herself confused about how, and _why_ , she had noticed that. She could surely tell when other girls were hot and pretty in their appearance, but that had always been in a respectful 'girl to girl' type way. Never before had she found another girl hot to the extent where she noticed her smooth skin and was intrigued in her curves. Shaking her head to rid herself of her thoughts, she watched in wonder as another girl appeared behind Arizona, an arm finding its way around the slim waist, lips pressing against a pale neck. Her eyebrows shot up into her hair as Arizona turned around, her lips immediately being covered by the other girls. Then it hit her. Arizona was _gay?_ And she had a _girlfriend?_ The other girl drew back from Arizona, and Callie noticed the subtle look of discomfort on her features, as she said something before quickly turning and walking away. The fast pace of her movements made Callie grin a little.

"Arizona's gay?" Callie said outloud to Mark, her eyes focusing on his again.

Mark rolled his eyes. "She gets more tail than I do, and that's saying something."

Callie grimaced at the use of language, but couldn't help her growing curiousity. There hadn't been any openly gay students at her last school, but she had heard a rumour that a boy in the year below her was gay. Not that anything had come from the rumour, as the private school she attended was a catholic school, and most students were very religious, and so were their families. Callie respected her religion, even if she wasn't as strict with it like her parents were. Addison wasn't religious at all either, saying out loud many times that she didn't believe in God (which did earn her many pointed stares). But here, in Baltimore, things were so much different, much more accepting? She knew there were bound to be people who had a problem with Arizona's sexual preference, but she was still being herself. The thought made Callie smile.

"That girl her girlfriend then?"

"Robbins? Have a girlfriend? Now that's funny," Mark stated, folding his arms. "Boswell has clearly gotten too attached to ol' blondie. Rule one of a fling; don't get attached."

Callie nodded in agreement, not that she had any experience in flings. She didn't have experience in, well, _anything._ Other than a few make out sessions here and there, she hadn't progressed any further. She was aware that most people her age had already taken that step, but the thought was kind of scary. She didn't want to just have sex with someone for the fun of it, she at least wanted it to mean _something._

The bell went, signalling the start of the next period. She offered up a smile in Mark's direction, then picked up her heavy backpack, and set off down the corridor, in the same direction Arizona had walked down a few minutes before.

* * *

Cheer practice had finally finished, with Arizona feeling completely drained and very disgusting. She knew she probably stunk of sweat, and wanted nothing more to get home and have a shower. She had decided against showering in the changing rooms, knowing that no doubt Lauren would be there, and she desperately wanted to avoid her. She knew they were going to have to have that conversation, but she wasn't entirely sure how to go about it without ruining the other girls feelings. While she participated in casual flings, she never wanted to hurt anyone's feelings. She didn't want feelings to get involved. And she didn't want it to be awkward between her and Lauren, considering that they were in a few classes together, and on the cheer team together.

Shaking her head and ridding her thoughts of Lauren, a smile grew on Arizona's face as she recalled how Coach Avery had made Teddy captain. She had yelled out in glee when Teddy's name was revealed, causing her best friend to shoot her a sharp glare, her cheeks flushing red. Not that she cared much. All that mattered was that Teddy had been made captain.

Arizona reached her truck, swinging her bag off of her shoulder to grab her keys. As she hummed lightly, her fingers finding the key chain that held her keys, she heard the click of a trunk opening a few cars away, and twisted round to the noise.

Callie Torres was dropping her backpack into the back of her car, her hands coming up to shut it after she had done so. She had taken off her leather jacket, and dropped it into the back with her bag, even more tanned skin now glistening in the sunlight. Her head raised, and the moment it did, her chocolate brown eyes met Arizona's.

The blonde smiled lightly at her, wondering whether to go and speak to the other girl. While she was still considering it, it seemed Callie had decided for her, as she was stepping towards her. Arizona also noticed Callie reach into the back pocket of her shorts, withdrawing a small scrap of paper.

"Hey," Callie said with a smile, as she reached her. Her smile showed off her pearly white teeth. Her nearly bare tanned shoulders and her cleavage that was hugged by the tight tank top was already too much for Arizona. She was a girl who loved girls, and the girl standing in front of her was incredibly gorgeous, she couldn't help but want to stare. It was clear that Arizona found Callie deliciously attractive. She assumed everyone, even straight girls, must have noticed the hottness of the brunette. She made a mental note to test her theory on Teddy the next day.

"Hi," Arizona replied softly, before suddenly a frown overtook her features. She had been so busy staring at the brunette that she had failed to notice the perfection that was Callie's car. Her eyes widened at the sight of the red T-bird, and she was practically drooling. As _if_ Callie couldn't get any hotter, she now had to own a sexy as hell car? Really? "That's your car?!"

Callie followed Arizona's eyes, smirking at the reaction it had on the blonde. "Yes. She's my pride and joy."

"It's-it's beautiful," Arizona stammered, her cheeks going slightly pink at her failure to compose words properly. _Nobody_ had that effect on her. Awkwardly, she cleared her throat, before continuing. "I mean, I've never seen a car as amazing as that. Like that. My brother Tim would be so jealous of you."

"You're interested in cars?" Callie asked curiously, drawing Arizona's eyes back to her own.

"Yes! Tim and I have always been fascinated. Hell, neither of us have even been close to a car like that."

Callie smiled at her. "She's pretty amazing."

"More like drop dead gorgeous," Arizona retorted. In her mind she knew she wasn't only talking about the car. "Anyway, how was your first day?"

"It was alright," Callie shrugged. "I stayed behind after looking around the library. To be honest I'm not really too keen on being the new girl."

"Oh trust me, I understand," Arizona told her, her body slouching against the door of her truck. "I've been the new girl 11 times and I'm 17."

Callie raised an eyebrow in response, clearly questioning her, and Arizona decided to elaborate.

"My Father's a marine. Moving around the country and even the _world_ is second nature to me."

A look of understanding fell upon Callie's face, but Arizona also couldn't help but notice that she seemed kind of impressed. She knew a lot of people were impressed with her Father's profession, and Arizona herself was undeniably impressed and proud of what her Father did for their country. She knew Tim was also keen in getting involved with what their family stood for, but had joined the Army instead when war broke out. Her Father was still incredibly proud of her brother's decision, terrifying as it was. She preferred not to think about where Tim was, but more on him as a person.

"That's really great," Callie said quietly, her voice dripping with admiration, and Arizona felt her insides squeal in response. They stared at each other for a moment, eyes locked, before a look of realisation crossed Callie's face, and she held out her hand, handing forward the small slip of paper that Arizona had noticed between her fingers. "I figured being lab partners and all it would make sense for you to have my cell number sooner rather than later." Awkwardness found it's way back into Callie's voice, and her hand shook slightly.

Arizona reached out tenderly and took the paper from Callie's grasp. She looked down at the softly written numbers, with _"-Callie"_ written underneath them. She really did love Callie's handwriting. She glanced back up to Callie.

"Thank you, that's a good idea. I'll text you later tonight so you have my number as well."

"Okay good," Callie said in response, nodding her head in agreement. "I should go home now, no doubt dinner will be ready shortly."

"Me too," Arizona said. "Bye Callie."

"Bye Arizona."

Arizona watched as Callie wandered her back to her car, twirling the paper in her fingers. Rolling her eyes at herself, she pulled open the door to her truck, throwing her backpack into the passenger seat. She definitely knew she had pulled the good straw in lab partners this year. Just being able to stare at a hot girl was good enough for her. And Callie definitely was able to tick that box. She wondered once her and Callie became better friends (she already knew they were going to be) if her attraction towards her would lessen. When she had started the school in Jaunary she had found Teddy really attractive, which said something as she usually wasn't as attracted to blondes. Once they had became good friends however, she simply just found Teddy hot in a way friends found each other hot. She wondered if that would be the same with Callie. The only other way Arizona got over thinking someone was hot was after sleeping with them a few times, and she wouldn't want to just have a fling with Callie and screw everything up. Arizona groaned at her thoughts, smacking her face with the palm of her hand. There was no chance Callie was even gay, she had no idea why she was thinking so deeply about it. Shaking her head to clear her less than innocent thoughts, Arizona put her keys in the ignition and started up the engine. Senior year was going to be a good one.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: A new chapter! I'm not too fond of this one, but I hope you like it :) I'm really excited about this story! So far I have written up to chapter 6, and the final chapter, because I got the idea for the ending and had to write it down, which is good because I'm now very aware of where I am heading. I should post the next chapter soon, so stay tuned!_

* * *

 _Chapter 3_

The first week of school was over, something which Callie was very grateful for. She flopped down on her bed, the comfortable blankets and sheets making her moan in appreciation. She burrowed herself further into the blankets, her hands coming to rest on her stomach. She stared up at the ceiling, her mind drifting back to think over the first week at her new school.

Weird as it was, Callie had found herself becoming friends with Mark Sloan, the guy who had tried and failed to hit on her during her first day. Mark was on the school's football team, and she quickly found out that he had a solid reputation of sleeping around, which made sense judging by his behavior when they had first met. She had also realised that Mark was absolutely _smitten_ with a girl in the year below him, called Lexie Grey. Lexie, however, was in a relationship with the Cheerleading Coaches son, and another member of the football team, called Jackson Avery. What was even worse was that Mark and Jackson were good friends, so Mark didn't even feel like he could try and win Lexie over using his charm; he respected Jackson too much. Callie had felt sorry for Mark's situation, until she saw him sneaking into a supply closet with some girl from her English class, and had rolled her eyes.

She had began to hang out with Mark and his friends. Mark's friendship group consisted of himself, Derek Shepherd, Derek's girlfriend Meredith Grey (who was also Lexie's half sister), Meredith's best friend Cristina Yang, Jackson and also Lexie. Occasionally Alex Karev would eat with them too, but his girlfriend Jo was a cheerleader, so he often found himself sitting at their table instead. Callie liked the group, and had settled in with them quite nicely. She enjoyed eating with them much more than she had enjoyed eating with April, no disrespect to her of course. With their group she just found she had more to talk about, instead of sitting and listening to April and Reed discuss whatever they always talked about.

All of Callie's classes were going well so far, but it was very clear that Ap Biology was her favourite. She had always loved biology, and desperately wanted to go into medicine, but she found herself enjoying it more than she had at her old school. It wasn't that the class was much different, or that the teacher was much better (Mrs Bailey was good, yes, but that wasn't the reason). It had became clear to Callie that the reason she had been enjoying biology so much was due to her new lab partner. Arizona was perfect, there was no other word for it. She was intelligent and funny and kind, and she was always on the exact same page as Callie when it came to completing tasks during the class. They worked together extraordinarily well, and they didn't even have to try and find a balance, they just worked. Staying true to her word, Arizona had text Callie Monday night, giving Callie her number. They had text a few times during the week, their texts mainly being biology related as they had been given their first assignment for the year, which was a presentation on the differences between animal cells and plant cells. They had two weeks to complete the presentation, but with Arizona and herself both being type A students, they had decided to complete the presentation right away, giving them more time to go over it and rehearse it. They had planned on Thursday for Callie to go over to Arizona's house on Saturday afternoon to get started on it, after they had made a short plan in the library one free period, but nothing more had been spoken about it. Callie bit her lip thoughtfully, and then sighed, pulling herself up into a sitting position, and reached for her phone which was on the nightstand.

Unlocking her phone, she quickly found Arizona's contact, and sent her a quick text.

 _Are we still on for tomorrow afternoon? If so, what time? -Callie_

After sending the message, she dropped her phone onto her lap, patiently waiting for a response. After a few moments, her phone pinged, signalling a text, and she quickly grabbed her phone in her hands.

 _We most definitely are! Come over around 1? Mom said she'd leave us some money for Pizza if you're up for it. -Arizona_

Callie smiled happily at the text, a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders. For some reason she had been afraid that Arizona would cancel, not that she would have any reason to. They were lab partners and did need to get the presentation done. Plus, they were friends. Right? It seemed like they were.

Callie skimmed her thumbs across her screen as she typed a reply back.

 _1 sounds good! So does the Pizza of course. What's your address again? -Callie_

After Arizona had sent her a text with her address, Callie was called by her Mother for dinner. Sighing at the thought of having to move, she pulled herself off of her bed, and wandered out of her room. The large, new modern house was still something she was getting used to. She didn't understand why her parents wanted to buy such a large house, especially since there was only three of them living in it. She knew it was more to do with the fact that they _could_ rather then the idea that they actually needed it.

Photographs hadn't been put up yet, so the walls looked bare and un-homey. As she walked down the stairs and into the dining room, the sight of her parents sitting alone at the twelve seater table made the house seem even more empty. Sure, the house she had lived in previously had been similar, but that house was her home. It was were she had been brought up. There were memories in the walls of the house, giving it a sense that is was full. Images of her younger self running around after her older sister, Christmas mornings spent under the tree, the endless sleepovers in her room.. the house she was now living in had none of those so far. And she wasn't sure it ever would.

"How do you like it here, mija?"

Her Father's voice snapped her from her thoughts as she dropped down into the seat on his right, sitting across from her Mother.

"It's nice," she said simply. Half because it was what he wanted to hear. And half because it was.

* * *

Arizona loved her Mother, she truly did. Barbara Robbins was a kind, hardworking, intelligent woman, who would do anything for anyone. She worked as a nurse at the local hospital, and then proceeded to volunteer at the same hospitals on her days off, always doing that little bit extra. She went to cooking classes for fun, always coming home with some new recipe that she wanted to try out on her family. She even donated money to the animal shelter, and once had come home carrying a small grey kitten that she had apparently adopted, despite her husband's pleas, saying that little Tom needed a home. All in all, Barbara was a wonderful woman, a saint, the Mother of all Mothers. However, she was also _incredibly_ nosy.

"For the last time Mom," Arizona exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air, making Tom, who had been asleep on her lap, jump up and bolt out the room. "She's going to be here any minute, you'll find out everything about her when you can ask _her_."

Barbara frowned at her daughter's loud outburst. "I was only asking if she was pretty, dear, that's no reason for you to shout."

Arizona raised a sharp eyebrow in question. " _And_ if she had any siblings, _and_ what her parents do for a living, _and_ what she wants to study at College, _and-_ "

Arizona was cut off by the sound of the door bell ringing. She jumped up from her seat on the couch, ignoring her Mother's pointed looks, and reached the door, swinging it open to reveal the girl who had been the topic of their conversation. Callie.

Callie was dressed in a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, and the casual look was definitely good on her. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, something Arizona hadn't seen before then, leaving her shoulders completely bare. Under her arms she carried her text book and her notepad, where they had written their plan for their presentation. That night in the library had been the first time they had truly seen each other and hung out outside of the biology classroom, even if it was just to do more biology work, but Arizona had enjoyed it. She felt as though they were on their way to becoming friends, as opposed to just lab partners, something she was very happy about.

"Hey," Arizona said cheerfully. "How are you?"

She stepped to the side, gesturing for Callie to enter her house, and watched Callie's eyes drift around the hallway as she stepped in.

"I'm good, how are you?"

Arizona reached forward to ease the books out of Callie's hands, their fingers brushing slightly. She bit her lip, as she led them into the kitchen diner, where she had set up her laptop on the breakfast counter, figuring they could work up there for the afternoon. She felt Callie trail behind her.

"I'm awesome," she replied with a smile, placing the books beside her laptop, before turning around to face Callie, who beamed in response. Before either could say anything else, Barbara cleared her throat from behind Arizona. Arizona sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "Callie, this is my Mother, Barbara Robbins. Mom, this is Callie, my lab partner for the year."

Barbara immediately stepped towards Callie, who awkwardly put her hand out.

"Hello Mrs Robbins, it's a pleasure to-"

Callie was cut off as Barbara pulled her in for a hug, ignoring Callie's outstretched hand.

"Barbara is fine, dear," the older woman told her, as she pulled out of Callie's embrace. "And Callie, what a beautiful name, is it short for anything?"

When Callie blushed, Arizona's interest piqued, and a large smirk found it's way onto her lips.

"Calliope!"

Callie and her Mother both turned to face her, and judging by the look of pure horror on Callie's face, Arizona was right in her assumption.

"What? How?"

"April nearly said it during first day," Arizona replied shrugging. "I wasn't sure if she messed your name up by accident so I didn't want to call you it. _But_ seeing as we now know it's your real name.."

Callie continued to blush red, and Barbara sent Arizona a look which Arizona ignored.

"I think it's a beautiful name," Barbara told Callie, rubbing her arm. "Don't you agree Arizona?"

"Definitely," Arizona said honestly, and she meant it. She didn't know why Callie didn't tell anyone her real name, she thought Calliope was an insanely gorgeous name. She knew it was probably due to her name being unusual, her own name being unusual as well, and that kids could ruin ruin things completely. Arizona, having grown up the daughter of a marine, had taken the name calling and snidey jokes in her stride, but she knew that not all kids would react in the same way. She had a feeling that Callie wasn't like how she was when she was younger, and had therefore began calling herself Callie to try and escape the bullies. She wasn't even sure why anyone would pick on Callie because of her name. The name meant beautiful voice, and was as unique as the girl who had been named it.

Callie smiled lightly at her comment, although her cheeks were still flushed pink. Embarrassed Callie was a beautiful sight.

"Okay girls, I've left some money on the side for you for pizza, I'm going to head off to the hospital now. I'll be home in a few hours."

"Hospital?" Callie asked, concern clear in her voice as her eyes found Barbara. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh yes, certainly dear," Barbara told her reassuringly. "I work there as a nurse, you see, and I volunteer and go in on my days off sometimes, just to help out."

After kissing Arizona's cheek and hugging Callie goodbye, Barbara made her way out of the house leaving the two teenagers alone. After watching her Mother leave, Arizona shifted her eyes back to Callie, who she found had been staring at her. Callie quickly tore her eyes away when she realised she had gotten caught, her eyes landing anywhere except Arizona, awkwardness seeming to set in. Coughing to cover up the silence, Arizona stepped towards her guest.

"I can't believe her," Arizona said, rolling her eyes in annoyance, and Callie finally let her eyes land on Arizona again. "Before you got here she was practically quizzing me on you, and then the moment you actually get here, she leaves."

Callie laughed gently at her comment, shrugging her shoulders. "That's just moms, right?"

Arizona joined in the laughter, and they both made their way over to the counter where Arizona's laptop was. Slipping onto the stools, Arizona quickly tied her hair up into a messy bun, as they quickly set to work. They eased into their comfortable biology-related zone, the awkwardness quickly subsiding. Due to the plan they had made, they both seemed to reach a silent understanding of how to set out their power-point, Arizona typing while Callie helped construct the sentences. Callie had also, it seemed, added to the plan they had made. That made Arizona one hundred percent sure that Callie was the perfect lab partner. She did work even when they had thought they had finished the work.

They had done around two slides when Arizona's stomach had declared itself hungry and the call for pizza had been made. They settled on a normal pepperoni pizza, Arizona thanking God that someone else shared her taste for pizza (Teddy always told her pepperoni was boring). They ate in the living room, Callie sitting in the armchair, while Arizona laid herself down on the sofa. She had noticed the look Callie had given her when she began to eat laying down, clearly about to go into teenage science mode, so she quickly sat up. Callie grinned at the impact she had on the blonde.

They talked while they ate, sharing short stories about High school adventures. Arizona purposely kept her stories innocent, knowing perfectly well that a lot of her stories were less than. She assumed Callie knew she was gay, even though they hadn't spoke about it, as her and Lauren had been the talk of the school last week; there was no escaping that gossip. She had broken things off with Lauren on Tuesday morning, the other girl then causing a dramatic scene by having a breakdown in home room, leaving Arizona feeling guilty. Teddy had found the situation absolutely hilarious, telling Arizona this was a sign for her to change her ways. In all honesty, the idea of commitment didn't scare Arizona, it was simply that she hadn't found someone she would consider being serious with. The heartbreak of leaving her first girlfriend, Joanne, still stung, but it hadn't put her off relationships completely. It actually hadn't put her off relationships at all. She was well aware that she had a reputation as the female Mark Sloan, but when she found someone she wanted to commit to, she would commit. She wasn't going to deny herself a bit of fun though just because she had failed to find someone. That was insane.

When they had finished eating, Arizona put the plates in the dishwasher, and they resumed working. Callie took over typing, her long fingers gliding over the keyboard with ease, her eyes fixed on the computer screen as Arizona told her what to type. Arizona couldn't help but hum in appreciation as Callie, who had taken her hair out of her ponytail and let it hang loose, pulled her hair to one side, leaving the other side of her tanned neck completely bare. It had been bare before, Arizona knew that, but for some reason it had an entirely different effect on her. She needed to focus. She had been able to focus a _lot_ better when George was her lab partner, as he was neither female nor hot. Not that she wished Callie was ugly, she certainly didn't. Her hotness was definitely a treat.

"Okay, we've done four slides, that's enough for our first day, right?"

Callie's voice shocked Arizona out of her daydream, and she sat up straighter, nodding. "Yes, you're right. We can do some in the library, or meet up after school one day?"

Callie nodded in agreement. "Sounds good."

"Do you have to go home now? We could watch a movie if you want?"

In all honesty, Arizona was keen for her and Callie to reach the 'definitely friends' stage. While she was sure they were friends in a way, all their time together was due to them being lab partners. They could hang out because they wanted to, not because they had to, right?

"A movie sounds good," Callie replied, putting Arizona's thoughts at ease.

They both slid off of their stools, but as they did, Arizona's foot slipped on the shiny tiles of her kitchen. Her eyes closed, bracing herself for the fall. However, it didn't come. Instead she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, hoisting her up, keeping her grounded. Her eyes fluttered open, coming into contact with those of Callie's. She had always liked brown eyes. People often preferred blue eyes to brown, for a reason Arizona didn't know, as blue eyes always made her feel cold, or faraway. Brown eyes symbolised warmth and chocolate and reminded her of wrapping up in blankets by the fire in the winter. Callie's eyes poured comfort and the underlying sense of home. She felt as if she could see into Callie's soul just by staring deeply into her eyes. She felt as though all her problems could disappear just by looking into those deep pools of chocolate.

"You alright there?"

Arizona managed to nod weakly, her feet finding the ground.

"I suddenly got a sense of deja vu," Arizona commented, fighting the heat rising in her cheeks. "You seem to stop me falling a lot."

"It's a blessing," Callie told her, shooting her a quick smile, before awkwardly unwrapping her arms from around Arizona's waist.

Arizona immediately felt the loss of contact, and wrapped her arms around her waist. She bit her lip gently, her eyes narrowing at her own stupidity. She really needed to get a grip on herself. It was bad enough finding Callie attractive, she couldn't act like a lovesick puppy. She wasn't a lovesick puppy. Callie just kept catching her off guard and she wasn't used to that. She was used to catching other people off guard. Dammit, she really needed a distraction. And quickly.


	4. Chapter 4

_A:N: Hey guys! Another update :) I promise it will start getting more interesting and the story will properly kick off soon. At the moment it's still just getting into it. I hope you enjoy this update!_

* * *

 _Chapter 4_

"And that is the difference between animal cells and plant cells. Thank you."

The class clapped as Callie and Arizona drew their presentation to a close. After a moment, Bailey nodded at them, signalling them to return to their seats, and Callie turned to wait for Arizona as she closed down their power-point, and withdrew her USB from Bailey's computer. When done, Arizona lifted her head and shot Callie a wink, and Callie grinned in response. In the time they'd spent working on the presentation, they had become better friends, something which pleased them both. They hadn't gone over to each other's house since the first time Callie visited Arizona's, having finished their presentation in the library instead, but they had stopped to talk in the hallways and in the cafeteria.

"Well done, Calliope," Arizona said, as they both walked back down to the back of the class. Callie shot her a look at the use of her full name, which Arizona had taken to using since the first time she heard it, but Arizona pretended she didn't see it.

They sat down as Teddy and her partner Karli stood up to do their presentation, Arizona putting her USB away in the front zip of her backpack.

"Think we'll get an A?" Callie asked, hopeful.

"Oh definitely," Arizona said, oozing confidence and sitting up straight. "Bailey nodded at us, that's the best form of approval she gives."

Callie decided it was best to take Arizona's word for it as the blonde knew Bailey better than she did. As Teddy and Carly started their own powerpoint, Callie noticed the wink Karli sent in her direction. For a moment she frowned, not understanding why Karli, a girl she had never spoken to before, would send her such a gesture. She turned to speak to Arizona about it, but noticed the slight seductive smirk on those soft pink lips, and that's when it clicked. _Oh._ The wink had not been for her, but for Arizona. She remembered the first conversation she had shared with Mark, when he had told her about Arizona's flings, but she had thought maybe he was overexaggerating. Since the blow up Arizona had with Lauren Boswell on her second day at the school, Callie hadn't really thought too much about Arizona's love life. Not that she should. But it hadn't crossed her mind. And Arizona had never mentioned anything to her. She didn't quite know what to make of the looks Arizona and Karli were sending each other.

Callie's eyes were still on the blonde. Arizona's curls were hanging down, framing her face. She wore jean shorts and a purple short sleeved shirt. Judging by her choice of attire, Callie knew that she didn't have cheer practice, as she only ever wore her uniform on days she did. Arizona had never told her that piece of information, she had worked it out herself. That didn't make her weird, did it? No, of course not. Arizona must have felt Callie's eyes on hers, as her head turned to face her. An eyebrow arched in silent question, but Callie simply shook her head, returning her attention to the front. Karli was currently speaking, her eyes fixed in her, no, _Arizona's,_ direction as she spoke. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Arizona smiling at Karli again, which irritated her for a reason she wasn't aware of.

Half an hour later the class ended. Callie stood up, stretching her arms, and then turned to her side to find Arizona holding her bag out for her. The blonde had also put Callie's notebook away for her.

"Thanks," she said genuinely, taking the backpack from Arizona's hands, and pulling it over her leather clad shoulder.

"You're welcome! See you around."

Arizona then left the classroom, Karli hot on her heels, and Callie fought the urge to roll her eyes.

With her eyes fixed on the door Arizona and Karli had just exited, Callie failed to notice Mark step towards her, and didn't register his presence until she felt his arm drape around her shoulders. Jumping at the contact, she turned her head to face him.

"Your presentation was great, Torres," he said, squeezing her tighter as they left the room.

"Yours was too," Callie told him. She wished it could have been a truthful comment, but seeing as Mark's presentation had been the one before hers, she hadn't paid much attention. Instead, she had been freaking out about speaking in front of the class, her fear of public speaking taking over, and the only thing that had kept her from having an entire breakdown was the feel of Arizona's hand on hers. Arizona must have realised her panic, either by her shaking hands or quick breathing, and had placed a gentle hand over her hand to try and bring comfort. It had worked somewhat, Arizona's soft hand giving her something to focus on other than the fear of speaking. She had focused on the human contact, of the feel of Arizona's skin meeting her own, of how nice the exchange was. When her heart rate had began to slow, she had raised her head to meet Arizona's eyes, and mouthed a slow 'thank you.' Arizona had simply squeezed her hand in response.

"I have practice now, I'll see you in English last period?"

After agreeing with Mark, Callie watched him leave, standing alone awkwardly in the hallway. She couldn't help but wonder if Arizona wanted to meet up to study later. Technically, they hadn't started the next topic in biology yet, so it would be more of getting a head start than actually studying. Bearing in mind that they both loved the subject and excelled in it, she thought Arizona would be on the same page as her. She wouldn't want to get too ahead without her lab partner, right? Deciding it was a good idea, Callie withdrew her phone from the pocket of her jeans, and sent Arizona a quick message.

* * *

Karli's lips were hot against her own.

They tasted like strawberry lipgloss, and as Karli's mouth slid open, Arizona came into the contact with the minty taste of her breath. It wasn't a weird combination, Arizona decided. It was oddly refreshing, and definitely different to the apple-y taste of Lauren's lips.

She had Karli pinned against the door of the changing room, her hands on Karli's hips, Karli's hands on the back of Arizona's neck, keeping her in place. She revelled in the way the smaller, light brown haired girl whimpered at her touch, loving the control she held over her. Arizona loved being the one in control, loved being the one to make another girl scream for her contact. It was a talent, she had realised, something she was _very_ good at, if she did say so herself.

Their kissing session was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a _ping_ emerging from Arizona's back pocket. She pulled away from Karli for a fraction, her left hand leaving Karli's hip and sliding round to grab her phone. Karli leant forward, her lips finding Arizona's neck. For a moment, Arizona's eyes slid shut, her hand squeezing her phone as she forgot why she had pulled away in the first place. However, another quick _ping_ brought her back to reality, and her eyes snapped open. She moved away from Karli's advances, her eyes finding her phone screen, which she quickly unlocked, finding two texts from Callie.

 _Do you want to meet up later to get a headstart on Osmosis and Diffusion? I'm pretty sure you already know the topic off by heart, but every little helps right? -Callie_

 _On second thoughts, I'm actually free at the moment and was heading to do some work in the library. You could meet me in the library and we could begin now? If you have something else to do I totally understand -Callie_

Arizona grinned. Callie really was adorable. She could almost feel the other girl's nerves and embarrassment shining through the words on the screen. Her fingers brushed over her phone. She couldn't leave Callie hanging, could she?

"You good?" The voice of Karli made Arizona's shoot up from her phone, finding the green eyes of the girl she had just been kissing.

"Actually I, um, I have to go," Arizona said simply, feeling slightly guilty as she watched the drop of Karli's face. It had been Arizona's idea to hang out afterall. "We'll do this again though, okay?" She smiled flirtatiously, hoping to win Karli over, and leaned in, placing a kiss under Karli's ear, a spot Arizona knew made most girls weak at the knees.

"O-okay," Karli stammered out.

Arizona shot her a smile, as she quickly readjusted her shirt and pulled, her now messy hair, up into a ponytail. Karli was still leaning against the door as Arizona left, a wink flying behind her.

She walked quickly to the other side of the school to the library, hoping Callie was already there, at their usual table. It was funny that after a few weeks they had their own 'usual table' in the library. It was towards the back of the library, making it much quieter for studying, but also meant they got away with not being completely quiet one hundred percent of the time. As she wandered into the library, and down one of the aisles to the back, she found she had been right, and Callie was already there. She was leaning over her biology textbook, her bottom lip drew in between her teeth in the way she did when she was concentrating. Her left hand was rubbing slow circles on her the crease between her forehead, her eyes skimming between the pages. It was a wonderful sight, watching Callie concentrate completely. Despite sitting beside her during class, she hardly got the time to stare at her as she was having to work and concentrate too. This right here was an entirely different circumstance, as for a moment she could watch her freely, without worrying about falling behind. Suddenly, Arizona felt weird about watching Callie without her knowing. That was borderline stalker, right?

Deciding to escape her stalkerish ways, Arizona cleared her throat, making her presence known. Callie's eyes darted up, a large smile overcoming her beautiful features.

"Hey! Sorry if you were busy, you didn't have to come." Callie's words were soft, as though she was truly shocked the cheerleader had decided to join her. Callie shouldn't have been though, as Arizona's mind had been made up the moment she had seen the texts.

"It's fine," Arizona said carelessly, dropping her bag beside the table, and pulling out the chair beside Callie to sit down. They usually sat beside each other, rather than oppsite each other, as it was much easier to study. "I wasn't doing anything as important as this." That was technically true. School work did always come first. Arizona managed to hide the subconcious feeling that stirred inside her, telling her it was the company that swayed her decision, not the work.

"You look kind of flushed. Are you okay?" Callie's voice was dripping with concern, her eyes scanning the face before her. Her cheeks grew even redder as she recalled why she looked like that. Callie's intense gaze made goosebumps appear on her skin, and she quickly tore her eyes away, glancing down at the book Callie had out.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit hot, that's all."

Callie seemed to buy her poorly constructed excuse, and nodded, her own eyes finding the book before her.

"Was I right in assuming you know all of this already?"

"Maybe," Arizona murmured, unable to stop herself from grinning. She had always excelled in Biology, it was a fact. "But I also believe you most likely know all of this as well."

The laugh that escaped Callie's lips proved that she was, in fact, right.

They sat close together, so close their heads were nearly touching, as they peered over the top of Callie's textbook. They skimmed through the pages of the next topic quickly, neither one finding the topic confusing in any way. Callie's finger ran along the line she was reading, and after a few moments, Arizona found she was actually watching the tanned finger move, rather than reading the words. It was really lucky she knew the topic already.

Deciding that they didn't really need to prepare as much as they first believed, Arizona decided that a little communication couldn't hurt.

"So, Miami girl, when are you going to come to your first football game and see the superstars work? And by superstars, I clearly mean us cheerleaders."

Callie rolled her eyes at the blonde's smug comment.

"Superstars? Really Arizona?"

"That's not answering the question, Calliope," Arizona told her off, nudging her shoulder. "Before you know it, it will be late October and the season will be ending. Besides, most of your friends are part of the team."

"I'll go to the next one if it will stop your complaining," Callie retorted, rolling her eyes, but the curving of her lips gave her fake seriousness away.

"Good, I'll send you a wave," Arizona replied, earning a light giggle from the other girl. "So tell me about your life in Miami, Miss-I-Don't-Go-To-Football-Games."

"That's your go to? Really?" Callie asked, astonished. "And I do go to football games."

"Ooh, we can make a game out of this!" Arizona squealed, clasping her hands together. "Twenty questions. Now. Let's go."

Callie's mouth fell open, her jaw nearly hitting the table. When Arizona stared at her, patiently waiting for her response, Callie quickly shut her mouth, shaking her head. A single eyebrow arched, as brown eyes met blue.

"Are you serious? What are you, twelve?!"

Ignoring the comment from the brunette, Arizona decided she would start the game. "Question one: the thing you miss most from Miami."

After waiting for a moment, clearly assuming Arizona would laugh and declare herself kidding (something she would never do as twenty questions was serious), Callie sighed, and gave in.

"Addison, my best friend."

The answer caused emotions to spur in Callie's eyes, and Arizona decided not to push her into elaborating with her answer as she was scared her lab partner would burst into tears. Instead, she sat back, and waited for Callie to compose herself, and fire back her own question. After a moment, Callie returned to her normal self, and she raised her head, a question falling from her lips.

"First kiss?"

"My brother's best friend, Nick. It was only a peck though, and I was seven, so it hardly counts. My first proper kiss was when I was fourteen, and was with a girl called Emma that was in my English class. We moved a days later and I never heard from her again."

The topic of a first kiss wasn't a bad one. In all honesty, her first kiss with Emma had been pretty bad. It was sloppy and disgusting, and had at first put her off kissing anyone ever again. That was until she met another girl in the next place they stayed, and she quickly realised that kissing wasn't bad at all, but kissing Emma was what had been bad. Arizona looked for any element of surprise in Callie's eyes when she spoke of kissing another girl, but Callie didn't appear to be fazed. It seemed Arizona was correct in her assumptions that Callie knew she was gay after the showdown with Lauren. She also had an idea that Callie had noticed the looks she had shared with Karli, despite not saying anything.

"Siblings?"

"Aria, she's in college," Callie replied instantly, without a second thought. "Favourite book?"

The game of twenty questions carried on for about half an hour, the two girls covering various topics from favourite music to worst fears. Callie told Arizona about how she missed the ocean being on her doorstep, the free feeling she felt when she would go surfing. She told her how she had a small soft spot for dolphins, which Arizona had told her was such a stereotype, earning a playful shove. Arizona in turn told her of her time in Eastern Europe and China, revealing to the shocked brunette how she was also fluent in French, Italian and Mandarin. She also spoke of her birthname, being initially surprised when Callie had explained how she thought Arizona was named after the battleship, especially after learning about her Father being in the Marines. Callie understanding the meaning behind her name had impressed her, as she was the first person to ever assume right. Sitting and talking to Callie about her and her life seemed so easy, as though they had known each other for years. Arizona quickly realised that being in Callie's company was something she enjoyed very much, and she knew that she could sit and talk to Callie for hours without getting bored.

As the bell went, shortly after they had finished the game and had drifted into a comfortable silence, both stood up and said goodbye. Although they hadn't gotten much work done, which had been the reason for the quick meet up, Arizona had found that her and Callie had had fun together. She was truly happy with learning more about Callie, about her life and about the way her mind worked. Without even thinking about it, Arizona leaned in and wrapped her arms around the taller girl, pulling her body against hers. She felt Callie tense at first, clearly not expecting the embrace, but then Callie relaxed and hugged her back. After a moment or two, Arizona pulled back, flashing a quick smile, before lifting her back and leaving Callie at the table.

She felt crazy to even think it, but one quick hug from Callie had made her feel more alive than the whole make-out session she had shared with Karli. It was clear to her then that Callie Torres was definitely something else.

* * *

 _A:N: Okay a quick note!_ _I think it's quite clear, but at the moment, Callie is unsure of herself and her sexuality. She isn't aware of it. I'm going to try and focus on her coming out experience in this story, and trying to show how she deals with the realization of her feelings. At the moment she does find Arizona attractive, but she is unsure about what that means, and the same thing goes for her slight jealousy. As for Arizona, she is very comfortable in her own skin, and has already picked up on an attraction towards Callie, and is on her way to developing feelings for the other girl, although it may take a while to admit it. I mean, they are friends so that's kind of complicated as well right?! Anyway, next chapter, Callie attends her first football game, and we see Arizona in action! Oh and of course Mark and the guys too.. ;)_


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Hey guys! Here's a new chapter for you :) I hope you enjoy it! As for the person who wants to see jealous Arizona, you kind of (?) get a quick view of her here! But she will definitely be making a big appearance soon, so keep your eyes out! Also, I apologise for not much focus on the football game, but as I live in England, I don't know too much about the sport :/_

* * *

 _Chapter 5_

The air had grown colder as it was later at night, and Callie stood beside Meredith and Cristina in the stands. She was wrapped up tight in a pair of jeans, a green fitted top and her leather jacket, her arms folded across her chest. Her hair was down, the sides of it clipped back to keep it out of her eyes as she knew the wind was going to pick up. On each of her cheeks were red and white stripes, painted on by Meredith, to show her support for their home team. The game was currently at half time, with North Hill, their team, in the lead by one touch down, scored by Mark.

Meredith was cheering loudly in support of Derek, while Cristina, it seemed, was simply their by association. She did not have the red and white stripes on her cheeks, nor did she seem particularly interested in the game. Not that Callie could judge, of course, as this was her first football game that she had attended since joining the school. However, she had made a promise to Arizona that she would attend the game and watch the _superstars,_ as Arizona had so eloquently put it. The cheerleaders had performed a routine before the game had started, easily getting the crowd in the team spirit. Callie had to admit, she was simply awestruck while watching Arizona move. She knew the blonde was fit, of course she did, but watching her move like _that_ was something different entirely. She was so confident during the routine, moving with elegance and grace, but also with power. It was a beautiful contrast, and Callie found herself loving watching the blonde do something she was clearly meant to be doing. The rest of the squad members were also as amazing as Arizona, but for some reason, Callie thought they couldn't compare to the dimple popping girl. Maybe it was because she was good friends with the cheerleader in question, Callie didn't know, but she definitely thought watching Arizona was the best part.

Her lab partner had stayed true to her word, and at the beginning of the routine, she had scanned the crowd until her eyes landed on Callie's. She knew winked at the brunette in question, and shot her a wave, almost making Callie's heart pound out of her chest. It was definitely worth attending the match.

"Do you think they would care if I went home?"

Cristina's voice rang through the air, snapping Callie's thoughts away from her. She turned to look at her friend, who was staring intently at her phone as she played what looked like Angry Birds.

"You do know that Owen is playing, right?" Meredith asked, although it wasn't really a question.

Cristina shrugged. "Do you think he would mind?"

Cristina had recently began dating Owen Hunt, the football team's kicker. Owen was nice, sweet, kind, and was fairly good friends with Teddy Altman, Arizona's best friend. Callie personally thought Teddy liked Owen, and had assumed that the two of them would date, but that idea was put to an end when Cristina was revealed to be the one who had caught his eye.

"Would you mind if it was the other way round?" Callie posed the question thoughtfully, assuming that would change Cristina's way of thinking. However, instead, Cristina looked up from her phone screen, and looked at Callie, tilting her head to the side.

"I don't play football."

Callie didn't know whether to laugh or roll her eyes at the serious tone Cristina had used, thinking for a moment that Cristina was simply joking, but then realising that Cristina did _not_ joke. She gulped, darting her eyes to Meredith, who just shrugged in response.

The game was set to resume in a couple of minutes. Callie bit her lip as she scanned the field in front of her. The cheerleaders all sat on a bench together, huddled up and talking about something. Well, nearly all of them. Arizona wasn't present. Callie knew she was probably being an idiot for searching for the other girl, especially seeing as she didn't need to talk to her or anything. Instead, Callie just wanted the chance to look at her for a moment. Strange as it might be, Callie enjoyed looking at people, but most of all, she enjoyed looking at Arizona. There was something about the way the blonde acted that entranced her, something about the way her eyes would narrow, and her fingers would glide through her blonde locks as she worked, something about the way her tongue peeked out ever so slightly as she concentrated on a task at hand. She loved watching people, but watching Arizona was something different altogether. However, at that moment, it seemed the universe was against her. She couldn't see the object of her thoughts anywhere.

Looking up and down the ends of the field, wondering if Arizona had maybe gone for a walk or was stretching, Callie failed to notice the presence that appeared at her side. While she continued to look, the sound of a voice next to her ear made her nearly jump out of her skin.

"Looking for someone?"

Arizona's voice was light and teasing. Callie twisted round quickly, taking in the sight of the blonde cheerleader standing within arms length. She was clad in her uniform, her hair up in its usual cheerleading ponytail, fitted with red and white ribbons. Her blue eyes sparkled in amusement and mirth, and Callie knew she had been caught in her search. Before she could come up with a clever retort however, she noticed the blonde shiver and her teeth chatter a little.

"Are you cold?"

"I'm fine," Arizona replied immediately. "We're going to perform again in a few minutes, so no doubt I'll be all nice and warmed up after."

"Still," Callie said, clearly concerned; she didn't want her to get sick. "Do you have a coat or something?"

Arizona shrugged simply in response, her eyes remaining fixed on Callie's. Callie thought about offering her jacket, but decided against it, knowing for a fact that Arizona would tell her not to be stupid as she would have to take it off more or less the moment she placed it on. Instead, she opened her arms up a little, not realising what she was doing, until Arizona sighed in agreement and complied, stepping into the embrace Callie offered her. Her arms wrapped themselves around Callie's waist, through the inside of her jacket, getting as much warmth as possible. The feeling of Arizona's arms almost directly on her skin made her smile, and hug her tighter,as she wrapped up her own arms around the other girls back. Arizona's head fell underneath Callie's chin, reveling in the warmth. Callie tried to fight back the smile that was about to make an appearance on her face, but she failed the moment she felt Arizona tighten her hold ever so slightly.

"Better?" Callie asked quietly.

"Much," Arizona mumbled in response, her voice slightly muffled. "You're really warm, how is that even possible."

Callie laughed, tightening the hold she had on Arizona.

"You are not the first person to have told me that."

Unfortunately, she was unable to hear Arizona's reply, as the bell chose to rang out at that moment, symbolosing the end of the half time. Arizona unwrapped her arms from around Callie, stepping out of the embrace, a groan falling from her lips as the cold air once again hit her shoulders.

"That's my cue. This superstar's got to get back to work."

"Still calling yourself a superstar?"

Arizona sent Callie a feigned look of hurt, her hand coming up to rest on her chest.

"Are you suggesting I'm not a superstar, Calliope?"

The light pout on Arizona's lips made the blonde look undeniably adorable and she felt herself give in.

"Of course you're a superstar. You're brilliant."

The cheerleader must have noticed the honesty shining through in Callie's words, as her cheeks turned pink slightly, and that wasn't from the cold. It was rare that Arizona showed embarrassment, usually keeping a calm composure, but an embarrassed Arizona Robbins was by far one of Callie's favourites.

"I'll, um, I'll see you after?"

After nodding in agreement, Arizona shot her a final smile, before turning and running back down towards the field.

* * *

Arizona felt happily out of breath as she dropped down onto the bench, Teddy quickly taking the place beside her. She absolutely loved performing, loving the rush of adrenaline she got, loving the freedom she felt. She felt as though it was what she was meant to be doing, and she often wondered if she would feel the same when she (hopefully) became a surgeon and would leave the OR after performing a wicked surgery. Arizona thought that was what surgery would be like. As though she was performing. She would learn a routine, like she did for the cheerleading team, and perform it when it was needed. Of course she knew it wouldn't be as physical, but it was still a performance.

She hated to admit that she wasn't really paying much attention to the game. Instead, she found herself wandering in and out of daydreams, staring off into space instead of watching. When the crowd erupted in cheers, she glanced around quickly, her eyes drifting over her back and up to where Callie was. The brunette was smiling widely, her hands clapping, and as Arizona watched, Callie started laughing widely at something Meredith had said. As usual, the leather jacket clung to her perfectly, and Arizona felt herself sigh at the memory of being wrapped up in her arms. The heat coming from Callie's embrace, as she snuggled in close to her through her jacket, had provided her with a great sense of warmth and comfort. Callie simply radiated heat, and Arizona was almost one hundred percent sure that it all came from those chocolate brown eyes.

"You can go up there if you want to," Teddy said teasingly, causing Arizona to turn back around and face her best friend. "You don't have to sit and watch from here."

Arizona rolled her eyes at Teddy's suggestion, even though her mind was screaming at her to agree.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh right, you totally aren't staring at Callie, my mistake," Teddy muttered sarcastically, her eyes widening as though the thought was shocking to her. Arizona recognised the look on her face, and pushed her in the arm, causing her to laugh out loud.

"I wasn't staring at her," Arizona responded, surprised at her ability to sound somewhat convincing. "I was just observing. There's a difference."

"Really?"

"Really," Arizona confirmed. "Just like you're observing Owen."

She knew she had hit a nerve, and had successfully changed the topic of conversation, when the scowl appeared on Teddy's face and she turned to face the game once more. She felt bad for her friend. Finding out the person you have had a crush on for _years_ was dating someone else wasn't pretty. Especially in the way Teddy had found out. In the way Teddy has explained it to Arizona, the red headed football player had told her how he had something important to tell her because she was like a sister to him and he wanted her opinion. Arizona had immediately felt so sorry for the darker blonde. Not only had she found out about Owen and Cristina, but she had also been _sibling zoned,_ which was much worse than the typical friend zone.

"He's playing in the game, that's different," Teddy said after a moment. Arizona just nodded in agreement. She didn't want to go too far and make Teddy upset, especially when the wound was still fresh. She placed a comforting hand on the small of Teddy's back, and Teddy turned and gave her a small smile. "I did mean it, you know," Teddy continued. "You can go watch with her."

Arizona awkwardly cleared her throat, placing her hand on her chest.

"Yeah, I um, I do need to talk to her about biology actually."

It could easily be the truth. Callie was her lab partner, after all, so they would always have something biology related to discuss. However, she knew that wasn't the reason, and she was pretty sure that Teddy knew that as well. It was kind of weird though. She was craving the presence of Callie, her new friend, over Teddy, her best friend? Deciding not to question it too much, she quickly said goodbye to Teddy, before making her way up the stands to her lab partner.

Callie noticed her as she grew closer, a smile being sent in her direction. The look immediately warmed her insides. The red and white stripes on her cheeks made her look even adorable, which was a contrast with the hot look she was also pulling off.

"Hey superstar."

Callie's voice was soft, and despite the cheering crowd, Arizona could hear her perfectly. Callie really did have a beautiful, gentle voice, and her name was truly meant for her.

"Hey yourself," Arizona replied lightly, stepping in beside the brunette.

"You were truly awesome out there, Arizona."

Arizona blushed at the comment. She knew she was good, and people had complimented her before. But coming from Callie it actually felt as though it meant something. As though she actually meant what she said. And she didn't doubt Callie in the slightest.

"Thanks Calliope," she replied, moving in a little closer, causing her bare arms to brush against Callie's leather covered ones.

"You can just call me Callie, you know," Callie murmured, after a small silence.

"But Calliope is a beautiful name, like I have told you before."

"Hmm."

Their eyes met, and the stared at each other for a moment, brown eyes holding blue so tightly. Among the colder air of the night, Callie's eyes provided her with the same sense of warmth she had gotten earlier from Callie's arms. She loved her eyes. She truly did. She wasn't sure what she loved more. Looking deeply into Callie's eyes, or being wrapped up in her arms. Or perhaps both? She wondered what it would be like wrapped up in Callie's arms, and staring into her eyes.

"Hey Callie?"

Both girls jumped at the sudden, male voice coming from Arizona's side. Arizona shifted her eyes, turning her body to see a very nervous looking George O'Malley standing next to her. His gaze was locked onto the brunette on her other side, and her brow furrowed. She wasn't aware that George and Callie knew each other. Were they friends? She hadn't seen them interact before, not even in biology. Arizona had filled Callie in with tales about her previous lab partner, and she had never mentioned that they were friends. Finally deciding to look back at Callie, Arizona saw the same confusion etched in Callie's eyes. That made her feel slightly better.

"Uh yeah, George can I help you?"

"Yeah, I um, I was wondering if you have a date for homecoming yet? If you don't, would you maybe want to go with me?"

The words made Arizona snap her head towards George, her mouth falling open in a small 'O' shape. George O'Malley was asking Callie to _homecoming?!_ She couldn't believe it. Her heart began to race, and a weird sensation of what felt like anger and embarrassment all mixed in one began surging through her veins. Surely Callie wouldn't say yes? Would she? Arizona frowned, looking towards the brunette in question. She wanted to answer for Callie, and tell George no, and push him far _far_ away, but that wasn't her decision. She wasn't allowed to feel like this anyway. She couldn't tell Callie what to do. She had no right. She had to stand there and watch Callie either accept or decline the invitation with gritted teeth.

Callie looked as shocked as Arizona had done at first, her jaw dropped. When she finally regained composure, she shot Arizona a quick look, before her eyes found George's again.

"Don't you want to go with Izzie Stevens?"

Izzie was a hot blonde in a few of her classes, and also a girl on the cheer team. Well, hot if that was your kind of thing. Arizona personally found her annoying. All the guys fawned over her constantly, and she hated dated Alex Karev for a while last year until she broke his heart. Izzie was also very close friends with George O'Malley, a kind of weird pairing, and it was no secret that George was kind of besotted with her.

"Izzie?" George said, looking up at the sky and laughing. "She's like a, like a supermodel. Why would a girl as beautiful and hot as her ever want to go to homecoming with a guy like me?"

In that moment right then, Arizona wanted to beat the crap out of George. She hadn't been a particularly violent person since middle school, choosing to control her actions. But she would love, _love,_ to have thrown George up against the nearest wall, and bring her right hand under his chin. Instead, she took a deep breath, and watched as Callie's face fell completely, her eyes dropping down to the ground below her feet.

"Go." Her words were cold, like ice, and she glared at George with everything she had. George's eyes widened as he realised how bad his choice of words were, and he opened his mouth to speak, probably to apologise, but Arizona cut him off before he could begin. "I said go!"

George scrambled, his feet carrying him away as fast as possible. She watched him, her eyes narrowed as he disappeared into nothingness, before she faced the broken looking brunette. She had lifted her head back up to watch the game, and faked a smile as Meredith said something to her (Meredith and Cristina had luckily not overheard the conversation with George).

"He's wrong, Calliope," she whispered, regaining Callie's attention. The other girl turned towards her, but didn't meet her eyes. "You're stunning. Incredibly gorgeous. Like, leaves you breathless, that kind of gorgeous. You're hot, absolutely jaw dropping. Sometimes I can't even believe you're real. And if George O'Malley can't see that, then that's his fault. It's his loss. Because Izzie Stevens does not hold a candle to you. She's pretty, yes, but you are _beautiful._ You are beautiful, inside and out, and I know I'm not the only one to have realised this. It's unfair just how beautiful you are."

Callie finally locked her eyes with Arizona's. Her mouth opened a little, as though she was going to say something, but she must have thought against it, as she closed her mouth again. The intensity of her gaze made Arizona shiver, and Callie bit her lips before raising her arms.

"Cold again?"

"You don't need to use me needing warmth as a reason to hug me, Calliope," Arizona said teasingly, grinning at her. She accepted the embrace though, needed the feel of Callie's arms around her again. She fell into the embrace, her hands finding their way inside Callie's jacket again. She breathed in, her nose nuzzling in a little, the smell of roses and vanilla and pure _Callie_ filled her senses. It was overwhelming, and addicting.

"Did you mean it?"

"Every word," Arizona breathed against her.

Callie held Arizona closer, tightening her arms.

"Are you going to homecoming with anyone?"

"Mmh," Arizona answered, nodding a little. "I'm going with Teddy. Well, we both made a pact to go alone together, which is kind of sad, but that way we can have more fun."

"Right."

"Why?" Arizona leaned back so she was able to look at Callie properly. Their faces were exceptionally close, and Arizona gulped at the distance.

Before Callie could begin to respond, a massive cheer rose from the crowd, shocking both of them. Arizona freed herself from Callie's hug, her eyes drifting to the game, as Mark Sloan was lifted into the air by his fellow teammates. She heard Callie shout out in favor, and Meredith wolf whistle. The environment around them was wild, happy, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see Callie smiling properly, not faking anything anymore. She knew Callie may not believe all she had told her, despite Arizona meaning it all. But George O'Malley was a loser, and Callie really did deserve better than him. She deserved someone who knew how beautiful she was, and treated her as such. Not someone who was pining over someone else, and using her as a boost for their ego. Callie deserved someone who made her feel good about herself, someone who was respectful and kind and better than George O'Malley. Arizona's jaw locked as she thought about the slimy idiot. She really didn't like George.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Arizona smiled at the contact and turned to Callie.

"Thank you," Callie told her genuinely, her eyes showing sincerity.

"For what?"

"For being a brilliant lab partner. For making me come to this game. For waving at me during your performance. For what you said about me. Just.. for being a good friend. Thank you, Arizona." Callie awkwardly kept looking at her, despite it being clear that she wanted to look away. Arizona gently took her hand, and gave it a squeeze.

"It's my pleasure, Calliope."

And it truly was.

* * *

 _A/N: I hope you liked that :) Next up, Arizona finally goes over to the Torres household! And Callie gets a date to homecoming, but who is it?_


	6. Chapter 6

_A:N: Hello, here's another update! This chapter is the longest chapter I have written so far, so I hope you enjoy it! Most of the chapter is in Callie's perspective, so the next one is going to begin in Arizona's perspective. Anyway, here you go :)_

* * *

 _Chapter 6_

Callie was nervous.

Like, biting-your-nails-off-completely, kind of nervous. She stood pacing around the living room, the very _large_ living room, her hand pressed to her lips. It was going to be fine, right? Arizona was only coming over. For the first time. To her house. Her very large and modern and expensive house.

Callie groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. It was the first time someone in her new school would become aware of Callie's family's wealth. At her old school, her friends were also all rich, due to her attending a private school, so when they came over, the size of her house wasn't anything different for them. But with Arizona, that was a different situation entirely. Arizona and her family weren't incredibly wealthy like hers was. Arizona and her family didn't live in a large house that was far too big for just three people. She wasn't saying Arizona's family were poor, or that their house was small, because that wasn't the case at all. Arizona's family were _normal._ Their house was the size you would expect a house to be. It was homey and comfortable and looked _lived in._ It was warm and friendly and what a house should be. It wasn't like Callie's. It wasn't emaculate. It wasn't big enough to get lost in. And Callie knew that Arizona would quickly be aware of the amount of money Callie's family had. She had told Arizona a bit about her family, how her dad worked in a hotel business, and her Mother was a lawyer. She hadn't told her that her Father _owned_ a hotel company though. She was simply avoiding the truth. However, Arizona was set to arrive at hers shortly, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hide the truth anymore.

As if on cue, she heard the chime of the door bell ring, and she gulped nervously. Callie took a deep breath, bracing herself, before walking to the other end of the living room, and reaching the door. Telling herself to stay calm, Callie swung open the door, revealing the blonde standing sheepishly on her front porch.

"Hey," Callie said, giving her a small smile. She rested her hand against the door frame, looking at Arizona awkwardly.

"Thank god," Arizona breathed, a sigh of relief falling off her lips. "I thought I got the wrong house and someone was going to bite my head off."

"No, no, you've got the right place," Callie reassured her, but didn't move her hand off of the door-frame, which caused Arizona to send her a questioning look.

"Are you going to invite me in or are we going to be studying out here on the porch?"

Callie blushed, looking away at the smirk on Arizona's lips, and moved inside the house, gesturing for her to step inside. She shut the door behind Arizona, shaking her head at herself, before turning to face her lab partner, who had ventured further into the living room. Arizona's eyes shot around the white walls, landing on the black couch with white pillows, the large flat screen tv perched on the wall, her eyes filled with awe and wonder. She glanced up at the grand staircase, leading upstairs to the landing, her eyes staying on the ceiling as she noticed the crystal chandelier hanging in the middle of the living room.

"You have a really nice house, Calliope."

"Mm," Callie responded, feeling weird about the wealth being displayed already. The kitchen was worse. With the granite work tops and large breakfast counter and marble floors, Callie really didn't want to venture in there. However, she knew they had to, because that was where they were going to be working. _Great._ She awkwardly cleared her throat, regaining Arizona's attention, before speaking again. "Any questions? About all this?"

She knew Arizona must have. Not just anybody lived in a house like she did. Instead of immediately asking a million questions, the blonde acted unfazed, shocking Callie. She shrugged her shoulders, looking in Callie's eyes.

"Nope. You share whatever you want to share, I don't mind. Now come on, where are we working?"

Callie really had not expected Arizona to react that way. She had expected an open mouth, question after question. She didn't expect Arizona to just accept the fact that she lived in a house fit for royalty. Well maybe not royalty, but close enough. She bit her lip. She kind of wanted Arizona to know, simply because she didn't think Arizona would care or see her any differently, especially since the other girl wasn't demanding answers or anything. Callie wasn't like the majority of rich girls who had attended her old private school. She didn't like flaunting her wealth or showing off that she had top designer clothes. In fact, her favourite clothes weren't designer at all. That just wasn't her. In a way, she had fit in better with the students at her new school, as they were all ordinary. Yes of course, you still had the popular bitchy girls and the jocks, but it wasn't as though everybody was a snob. She wanted to let Arizona into that certain part of her life.

"My Father, he um, he owns the chain of hotels called the Archfield. He's pretty high up in the industry so.." She trailed off, giving a wave around her. "I wasn't sure about telling people about the, uh, money my family have. I'd definitely be seen as different. Way to stand out in a crowd right?"

"You're always going to stand out in a crowd, Calliope," Arizona said casually, as though the words were normal. Callie couldn't stop the butterflies that began to float around in the pits of her stomach. "But I'm glad you told me. Even if technically you didn't have much of a choice after I saw this."

"Right," Callie nodded, before stepping forward to walk into the kitchen. "We'll be working out here, if that's okay? My Father's at work, and my Mother's out shopping with her friend. She should be home soon though."

They walked into the kitchen, and Callie noticed how Arizona didn't make any fuss out of it. She just saw where Callie had placed her laptop on the breakfast counter, and walked towards it, sliding onto the stool. Callie smiled at how easily everything was going. She should have known it would have been fine. Arizona was a great person, and was friends with her because she liked her. Money wasn't going to change that, was it?

Callie walked over to the counter top, pulling open the cupboard above it, and pulling down two glasses. She quickly filled them both with water, knowing that Arizona preferred water to anything else while they were working (she said it kept her mind fresh), before moving to sit down beside her guest.

"Thank you," Arizona said, in response to the glass of water in front of her. She picked it up and took a small sip, before facing Callie completely. "What do you think Bailey's going to put in the quiz?"

They had their first Biology quiz in the next week, and had actually gotten together to study for it. They both felt fairly confident about the whole thing, but they knew that being extra prepared was always good.

"Probably a bit of everything," Callie muttered, rolling her eyes. Bailey was the kind of teacher to do that, after all. "What topic do you find the most challenging?"

Arizona raised an eyebrow in response to the question, drawing her blonde locks together as she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. The action caused Callie to admire the blonde's outfit, something she hadn't done yet, due to the nervousness she felt when Arizona first arrived. She was wearing a pair of blue skinny jeans, and a red and white baggy San Francisco 49ers sweatshirt. It looked good on her, almost too good. It wasn't fair. She had on no makeup, and hadn't even _tried_ to look good, yet she still did.

"49ers eh?" Callie said with a smile, raising the hand to the sweatshirt.

Arizona glanced down at herself, before laughing and raising her head. "Of course. We lived in San Francisco for a year when I was 8, and my Dad took Tim and I to see them play. It was our first football game we'd ever been to, so we immediately adopted them as our team."

"Too bad you didn't adopt the Dolphins before hand," Callie said teasingly, and Arizona scoffed in response.

"Oh please, the 49ers are way better than the Dolphins."

"Shall we see what the league table says about that?"

Arizona shot her a playful glare, but didn't say anything else and Callie laughed, knowing she had won. It wasn't her fault that her team were better than Arizona's.

"Is there even any point in us getting together to study?" Arizona asked after a moment. Callie had opened up her laptop and was flipping through a power-point that Bailey had set up for them to study with. It had various questions for them to go through as practice. "I mean, we always start studying but then end up talking or watching a movie or doing something that _isn't_ studying. Shouldn't we just skip to the movie bit now instead of pretending like we're going to get something done? We can eat popcorn!"

Callie looked at her, amused. "You really needed to come over to my house to watch a movie? You couldn't have done that in the comfort of your own home?"

"Hush you. I'm just being realistic."

"We're going to study," Callie told her sternly, ignoring the dramatic eye roll. "This is how intelligent students fail; they assume they know everything and then don't study."

"I do study! And I do know everything."

Callie ignored her, and pointed to the screen of her laptop, indicating question number one. Arizona turned her attention towards it, narrowing her eyes. "How many chromosomes are there in a single gamete. Seriously? "

"Arizona! Answer the question."

"I don't know, 46 maybe?" Arizona replied cockily, pretending to think. Callie struggled to keep a straight face, especially seeing as the know-it-all had gotten the question wrong.

"Wrong. 23. And that, my friend, is why you need to study and not get over confident."

"What?!" Arizona exclaimed loudly, her eyes widening. "Every cell has 46 chromosomes-"

"Except a sex cell, which has half that amount," Callie interrupted. The blonde blushed, bowing her head. "Come on, we'll go through a few questions and then watch a movie after. Sound like a plan?"

"Fine," Arizona grumbled, folding her arms across her chest, her cheeks still pink. She was clearly embarrassed, but Callie thought she looked adorable, especially with her little pout. They continued to work their way through the refresher questions, Arizona concentrating hard, clearly trying to make sure she didn't get another question wrong. She didn't, and Callie knew she wouldn't, but the scare of getting another wrong had clearly made her rethink the idea of studying. Callie had recently found out that her lab partner was very competitive, and knew the the blonde was waiting for her to get one wrong to even the 'score' between them. That didn't happen, however, something Arizona was getting fed up about. Callie tried to hide her smugness, but that wasn't going very well apparently, as Arizona told her off for the grin framing her face. She couldn't help it. She loved seeing the blonde riled up, it was funny and she had to admit, frustrated Arizona was _hot._ Suddenly, a thought of Arizona being frustrated in an entirely different way popped into her head, and Callie went red at the subconscious thought, shaking her head to rid herself of it. What was going on with her?!

"Well?"

Callie jumped at Arizona's voice, glancing to see her staring at her, apparently waiting for something.

"Sorry, what?"

"Seeing as you were not paying attention, you get that question wrong. Now we're even! Ha!" Arizona stuck her tongue out cheekily, while Callie glared at her.

"That's not fair!"

"It is!" Arizona proclaimed. "In a quiz, if you aren't paying attention, you can't possibly answer, thus not getting a mark. We are even."

"You are so mean, Robbins."

"Last naming me now, are we, Torres?"

"Whatever," Callie said dismissively, waving a hand. "At least my football team are better than yours."

Arizona shot up from the stool, hovering over Callie.

"Take that back."

"Never."

"Take. That. Back!" Arizona shouted, jabbing Callie's arm with each word. As she made to poke her the last time, Callie quickly grabbed hold of Arizona's wrist pulling the blonde closer. Her other hand accidentally brushed Arizona's side, and even through the thick material of her sweatshirt, Callie noticed the blonde squirm, and a light giggle fall from her lips. A smirk lit up on her face, and both of her hands grasped onto Arizona's sides, tickling her. Arizona's body began to react uncontrollably. She tried to pull away, but Callie kept her close, sliding off of her own stool, making it easier. The laughs and shouts leaving Arizona's lips spurred Callie on, and even with Arizona's arms waving around frantically, she still managed to proceed with the task at hand.

"Calliope! Stop! Please! Stop! Calliope!" Arizona's shouts were blended with the giggles flowing from her stomach, and the sound was entirely beautiful.

"Agree that the Dolphins are better!"

"N-No!"

"Fine."

Callie slid her hands up Arizona's sweatshirt before she had even thought twice about it, her fingers brushing against the bare skin of Arizona's toned stomach. They moved to Arizona's sides, and began quickly tickling the blonde again. Arizona's shouts had grown louder, and she was trying even harder to pull away, her hands pulling at Callie's forearms, but Callie was having none of it. She pressed Arizona's back into the counter, blocking Arizona's body with her own. Her laughs were heavier, Arizona struggling to catch many breaths between the attacks. Callie couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Calliope! I-I can't breathe! Stop!"

"Say the Dolphins are better!"

As she continued her quick movements on Arizona's skin, the blonde gave up with saying stop, and kept laughing and squirming. She brought her legs up to try and kick Callie away, but Callie quickly moved in, locking Arizona's legs with her own, winning the small competition. She knew Arizona was so close to giving in, there was no way the blonde could handle it for much longer.

"F-Fine!" Arizona screamed, and Callie slowed her hands. "The Dolphins are better!"

"What was that?" Callie asked, cheekily. She moved her fingers gentle, causing Arizona's body to shake again.

"THE DOLPHINS ARE BETTER!"

"I'm glad you agree."

Callie stopped her hands completely, and Arizona's laughs and screams died down. Her mouth opened as she gulped down air, her breathing heavy and jagged. Her head was leaning down, and when she raised her head, Callie noticed how her cheeks were flushed and there was unshed tears in her eyes from the uncontrollable laughter. As Arizona's eyes met hers, she suddenly felt the temperature in the room sky rocket, as the current position they were in became apparent to Callie. She still had Arizona pressed against the counter, both of the blonde's legs locked by her own. Callie's hands were resting on the skin of Arizona's stomach, and she registered for the first time the feel of the soft skin under her fingertips. When she had first reached up under the other girl's sweatshirt, the thought hadn't even occurred to her, but suddenly there she was. Her fingers felt as though they were burning from the sensation of Arizona's skin, and she was sure she felt goosebumps under the pads of her fingertips. Arizona remained still, her breathing still heavy. Her own hands were grasping at Callie's forearms. Whereas before she had been trying to push Callie away, it now seemed that her grip was in fact holding Callie close to her. Callie's felt her lips go dry, and she shot her tongue out to moisten them. Arizona's eyes suddenly became a shade darker, turning navy as opposed to the light blue they usually were, and Callie found her eyes were beautiful. She inched closer, unsure of exactly what she was doing.

"Calliope?"

Callie was at the other side of the room at an instant, her hands shoved deep inside her back pockets. She turned to the entrance to the kitchen, avoiding Arizona's eye, as her Mother entered, carrying three large shopping bags.

"Hello Mama," Callie said, sending her Mother a somewhat forced smile. She cleared her throat, raising her hand to Arizona, who had sat down again on the stool. "Mama, this is my lab partner, Arizona Robbins. Arizona, this is my Mother, Lucia Torres."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs Torres," Arizona said happily, sitting up straight and offering out her hand out to the older woman. She had regained her composure, her breathing having evened out, and her eyes had returned to their normal shade of blue. Lucia had placed her bags on the island, and stepped round to firmly take Arizona's hand in both of her own.

"Likewise Miss Robbins," Lucia said, smiling, before turning to Callie. "I've been called into the office by one of new my clients, it's urgent. I only popped back to drop my things in. Do you think you can prepare dinner for your Father and I? And Miss Robbins, of course."

"Sure, Mama," Callie said, shrugging. She loved to cook, it was something she thoroughly enjoyed doing.

"Thank you, make whatever you want to. I shan't be too long, I hope." Lucia gave Callie a small kiss on the cheek, and gave Arizona smile, before leaving the room once more.

When her Mother had left, Callie twisted round and walked over to the fridge, biting her lip as she opened the door and scanned the contents.

"What are you going to make?"

Arizona had walked over with her, and was standing behind her, looking over Callie's shoulder. The moment they had shared previously was lost, something Callie was grateful for, as she was unsure of just what had been happening.

"I was thinking Chicken Piccata? Do you like that?"

"Mm, sounds good."

After Arizona had insisted that she also help, both girls stood at the counters cutting vegetables and organising the meal. Callie did most of it, as she knew the recipe off by heart, and Arizona admitted she didn't really cook. Callie had laughed at her about that, causing Arizona to gently push her, and Callie was glad the laughs and jokes from earlier had returned.

As she stirred the contents in the sauce pan, a sound emitted from the breakfast counter, causing her to jump. Arizona moved swiftly, grasping Callie's phone and handing it towards. Callie smiled in appreciation, taking the phone, seeing Mark's name beaming at her. Connecting the call, she put the phone under her ear, her hands resuming the task at hand.

"Torres!" Mark's voice was loud, and she winced.

"Yes Sloan?"

"You sound distracted, what are you doing?"

"I'm making dinner. Is there any point to this phone call or are you just being annoying?"

"I am offended, Torres."

Callie rolled her eyes, shooting Arizona a look that said "kill me now," and the blonde laughed.

"Get to the point."

"Fine, fine. Do you want to go to homecoming with me?"

Callie's eyebrows shot up into her hair. The events of George asking her popped into her head, and while she wasn't upset anymore (Arizona had made sure of that), she did feel unsure about the invitation.

"Why are you asking me? Don't you have a long line of girls wanting to go with you?"

"Of course I do," Mark retorted automatically. "Which is why I'm asking you. I don't want to go with someone who wants to get in my pants. I don't want Lexie to think that of me. I want to go with my friend and have a good time, and you're a good friend, Torres."

"So you're asking me to show Lexie what she's missing? Really?"

Callie grinned as she heard Mark groan, probably also face-palming himself.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," she reassured him. Mark was a good friend to her, and she enjoyed his company. Going with him to homecoming wasn't a bad idea, as she would at least be able to have a good time with him, and she knew that he wasn't going to try anything stupid. "I'll go with you."

"Thank you, you're a life saver."

"Whatever, I've got to get back to cooking. I'll see you later, Mark."

Callie hung up the phone, dropping it onto the counter as she quickly finished the meal. She glanced over towards Arizona who was standing a few feet away, a frown on her face. Her forehead was crinkled, her eyes narrowed as she stared at the floor, and her lips were in a thin line. She looked annoyed about something, and Callie had no idea what that could be as she had seemed fine not too long ago. Callie watched as Arizona drew her bottom lip between her teeth, and bit down on it hard. Something had clearly pissed the blonde off, but Callie didn't know if she was allowed to ask about it. She didn't want to invade Arizona's privacy in any way.

"Dinner's ready."

Arizona finally looked at her, and Callie shot her a warm smile before pulling on the oven gloves, and opening up the oven. When she had emptied the oven, and placed the food on the plates, she opened up the microwave and placed her parents meals inside for when they arrived home. She picked up her and Arizona's, and set them down on the breakfast counter, thinking it was ridiculous to eat in the dining room when there was only two of them.

"Thank you," Arizona hummed, sitting down. She still looked conflicted about something, but the smile on her face seemed genuine, not forced, so Callie knew she had no reason to push the matter.

"You're welcome."

* * *

"I don't understand the issue."

Arizona sighed heavily, rolling over onto her stomach.

"There is no issue."

Arizona had arrived home from Callie's about an hour ago, and had immediately retreated to her bedroom and called Teddy. She had recounted the side of the phone conversation she had heard from Callie, where she had assumed that Mark had asked Callie to homecoming, and Callie had agreed. She must have sounded slightly angry, not that she could help it.

"Then why are we talking about it? If she wants to go with Mark, why is it a problem?"

"He's a manwhore," she hissed into the phone. "He's using her, and she's my friend. I don't like it."

"Are you forgetting who you are?" Teddy teased, but Arizona ignored the comment. "Besides, you said he has a thing for Lexie. Maybe he's asking her because he actually just wants to go with a friend. I mean, we're kinda going together but not in that way. Maybe it's the same for them."

Arizona knew Teddy had a point. She also knew she was overreacting. She couldn't get rid of the uncontrollable anger she felt at the thought of Callie dressing up to go with Mark. To spend time with Mark. To dance with Mark. Squirming at the idea of what _else_ Callie could possibly do with Mark, Arizona sighed.

"You may be right," she mumbled in defeat.

"I am. You're only acting like this because you like her and wished you had asked her yourself."

"What?!" Arizona jumped up into a sitting position. "I don't like Callie like that, she's my friend, she's just my friend."

While she was talking, her mind flicked back to the moment they had shared in the brunette's kitchen. She could still feel the light touch of Callie's fingers ghosting over her skin, causing goosebumps to rise over her body. Her caramel fingers had been warm against Arizona's own pale skin, sending soft vibrations through Arizona's body. Her tongue had dragged across her lower bottom lip, making Arizona's heart pound even harder, a low burn filling the pits of her stomach. Callie had locked her legs, blocking any escape, not that Arizona wanted to escape. In that moment, she hadn't wanted to have been anywhere else. She had been so sure that Callie was leaning in, but that was up for debate, as Callie's Mother had arrived home and Callie had shot to the other end of the room.

"Of course you don't."

"She's attractive, yes. She's hot, yes. But that's all."

"Right."

Arizona decided to stop trying to prove her point, knowing she was failing miserably. Did she like Callie? She couldn't, could she? Callie was just.. _Callie._ Her extremely sexy lab partner and friend. Right? She pushed her fingers into her temple, trying to stop the pain rising in her head. It was no use.

"I'm going to go, I have to shower."

"A cold shower, I presume?"

"Teddy!"

Hearing Teddy laugh into the phone, Arizona hung up without saying goodbye in protest, threw her phone to the end of her bed, and glared at it, as though it was an offending item. Her head was messy, something it rarely was, and she hated it. Callie was really getting under her skin. Deep down, she knew why that was, but she couldn't bring herself to admit it. Admitting it made it real, and she wasn't sure she could deal with it becoming real yet, even if the denial made her head throb. She liked how things were with Callie, she liked the comfortable, carefree friendship they had, and she didn't want anything to change that. She was _happy._ Besides, Callie was straight, wasn't she? She couldn't let anything compromise the friendship they had.

With a moan, she heaved herself up, and let her room for the bathroom. Teddy was right. She did need a cold shower.

* * *

 _A:N: So Arizona is somewhat aware of her feelings, but isn't ready to admit them yet? Hm.. Next up we have Homecoming! Does Mark really just want to attend with Callie as friends, or does he have other ideas? And how will Arizona control her 'jealousy'?_


	7. Chapter 7

_A:N: Another new chapter, yay! Although, to be honest, I don't really like this chapter too much at all :/ I had some difficulty writing it. But I have already written the next chapter, and I certainly like that one a lot more! Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading it even though I don't particularly like it :)_

* * *

 _Chapter 7_

"You're not going to make me slow dance, are you?" Teddy asked, as she sipped her drink. "Because as much as I love you, Arizona, I will have to refuse that invitation."

"Very funny," Arizona replied lightly, nudging her best friend's shoulders. "Even with you looking smoking hot in that dress, you still aren't my type."

It was true. Teddy did look very very nice. She was wearing a short emerald green strapless dress, that hugged in at the waist and then flowed out a little at the bottom. The colour suited her very well. Her long hair was hanging straight, some of the hair on her left side being pinned back and kept out of her face. Arizona personally didn't know how Teddy didn't have a boyfriend yet, as she was definitely hot enough to grab attention.

"Whatever, we all know you had a crush on me when you first started here."

Arizona fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"Right, of course."

It was the day of the homecoming dance. All throughout the day, she had experienced conflicted thoughts about the dance. On one hand, she was very excited. She loved dressing up and looking all hot for a special occasion and just having fun the entire night. On the other hand, she was unsure about seeing Callie there with Mark. She wasn't sure how to react. She had seen Callie throughout the week, Callie having come over to her house on Monday night to study (which had quickly turned into a movie night, unlike last time), and hadn't acted anything less than happy for the brunette. Callie had told her how technically it wasn't a date between her and Mark, as they were going just as friends, but Arizona still felt uneasy. She hadn't voiced her opinions to Callie though, not wanting to cause a rift in their friendship, especially as Callie and Mark were very close. She was happy that Callie had someone to go with, even though Arizona would have much rathered Callie going with her instead. She winced at the thought. She really did need to sort herself out.

She glanced around the gymnasium that had been decorated for the evening. A lot of students were on the dance floor, dancing widly along to the loud pop music that was playing. A few others were located around tables or corners, either food or drink in their hands. She hadn't seen Callie yet, and knew that she was truly looking for her, instead of just looking around casually. She was keen to see what Callie was wearing, knowing without a doubt that she was going to look drop dead gorgeous. Callie hadn't told her what she was wearing, not that Arizona had told Callie what she was wearing either. The element of surprise often worked well for others. Arizona had gotten a few looks, a lot from guys mainly which did slightly creep her out, but she had noticed a girl called Leah from the grade below her sending her glances.

Arizona smoothed down her dark blue dress, humming lightly in tune to the song that was playing. She was thinking about going to dance in a moment, perhaps dragging up Leah with her, as she knew the other girl wouldn't say no, but before she had the chance, Teddy's gasp made her head shoot up.

Arizona's eyes followed Teddy's line of sight, and as she noticed what, or rather _who,_ Teddy was looking at, Arizona felt her mouth go suddenly dry.

"She looks _hot,_ " Teddy whispered into Arizona's ear, and all Arizona could do was nod along.

Standing at the entrance to the gym was Callie. She looked stunning. Hot wasn't even a good enough word to explain just how good the brunette looked. She was wearing a dark red dress that fell just above her knees, her long caramel legs on full display. Her hair was down and curly, and swept to her left side, hanging completely over her left shoulder. The dress showed off a fair amount of cleavage, not too much, but differently enough to keep Arizona wanting to see more. Arizona raked her eyes up to Callie's face, noticing how Callie had applied makeup to her eyes, giving a sexy, smoky look. Her full lips were painted red, almost completely matching the shade of the dress she was wearing. Hanging around her neck was a small silver necklace, that hung just above the valley of Callie's breasts, once again causing Arizona's eyes to shift there. Callie was absolutely gorgeous. Arizona made her eyes raise again, but as she did, she noticed how Callie's right arm was linked with Mark's left. She couldn't help but feel jealousy rise up from her stomach, her teeth gritting together. Callie had dressed up like that for _Mark._ Not for her, or anyone else for that matter, but Mark.

"Wishing you'd asked her?" Teddy said softly, and Arizona's eyes slid to her best friend. "Hell, even I'm wishing I asked her and I don't swing that way."

Arizona didn't reply. She just watched Callie and Mark out of the corner of her eye, noticing how Mark leaned into Callie and whispered something in her ear, making her laugh and lean closer into him. She bit down hard on her lip, her eyes narrowing as Mark dragged Callie onto the dance floor, immediately pulling her body into his. Arizona saw red, her fists clenching. Taking a deep breath, she mumbled a quick goodbye to Teddy, before walking to the other end of the gymnasium where Leah Murphy stood. The other girl's eyes widened as she realised Arizona was coming over to her, and she gulped down the rest of her drink nervously. Arizona pulled Leah's hand into her own.

"Wanna dance?"

"Y-Yes," Leah squeaked, and Arizona smiled flirtatiously, pulling the younger girl onto the dance floor with her.

* * *

"She looking?"

Callie glanced subtly over Mark's shoulder, glancing in the direction of Lexie and Jackson's table. The pair were sitting together with Meredith and Derek, Jackson thoroughly engaging in the conversation, but as expected, Lexie was looking over where Mark and Callie were on the dance floor, her eyes filled with an emotion that Callie thought looked like longing.

"You bet she is," Callie replied, looking up at Mark and grinning. Mark's lips broke out into a smile, his pearly whites coming onto display.

"It's all thanks to you, Torres. You look smoking."

Callie blushed at his comment, biting down on her lipstick covered lip. She felt like she looked good. She thought she looked good. She thought the red suited her, and made her stand out a little. Her Mother had helped her with her hair, and had suggested the eyeliner to bring out her chocolate eyes, and Callie found she liked the effect it had. The black heels she had on showed off her legs, and she felt good. She had even noticed George O'Malley gaping at her, which had definitely made her feel smug, and kind of believe what Arizona had said about her. Thinking about Arizona, she frowned. Since entering the gym, she hadn't seen the blonde. She was intrigued to see how Arizona looked, and glanced around the dance floor in an attempt to locate her. After a few moments, Callie sighed. Arizona wasn't anywhere in sight. She hoped at least she would be able to see her later.

"I'm going to go get a drink. Wanna go sit with the others?"

Mark nodded, and Callie smiled and watched him wander over to where the others were seated, Lexie's eyes fixed on him.

Callie in turn walked over to where the punch bowl was, and poured herself a drink. After downing the fruit drink in a few gulps, she poured herself another, and stood while drinking it, engaging in the art of people watching. Teddy was standing a few feet away from her, talking to a boy called Henry who was on the school's baseball team. After a minute, Henry offered Teddy his hand, and dragged her onto the dance floor, something which made Callie smile. Even though she didn't talk to Teddy much, she knew she as a really nice girl and deserved to be happy. Humming, Callie continued to watch other people, noticing April striking up an eager conversation with Bailey, who was chaperoning the event, looking unimpressed, and Callie laughed quietly to herself. Scanning the dance floor once again, her eyes suddenly came into contact with striking blue ones she had been searching for. Feeling the air leave her lungs, Callie's eyes drifted over Arizona's face, focusing on her soft pink lips, and the slight winged eyeliner that made her blue eyes pop. She was on the dance floor, with a girl that Callie didn't recognise, but Arizona wasn't paying her any attention. Instead, she was focused completely on Callie. Arizona's hair was half up, half down, with blonde curls framing her face. She couldn't see Arizona's dress, as the other girls body was blocking Arizona's from sight, but she could see the creamy skin of Arizona's bare shoulders, indicating that her dress was strapless.

Arizona's eyes left hers, and fell to the girl she was with, as the other girl said something. Callie took this moment to turn away, and face the drinks table, her back to the dance floor. Her heart rate increased, and she shook her head, trying to clear it. Arizona had an effect on her, something which nobody else had ever had over her, and she didn't know what to make of it. She didn't know what it meant. She found Arizona attractive, but it wasn't anything more than that. Right? No, it couldn't be. That thought was absurd. Suddenly she remembered the moment they shared in her kitchen, her hands on Arizona's skin, and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Callie spun around, coming face to face with the blonde who had taken over her thoughts. She took the time to glance down at Arizona's body, taking in the sight of her dark blue dress that hugged her curves perfectly. Her dress wasn't too revealing, only showing the slight curve of her breasts, and was about the same length as Callie's. On her left wrist was a white gold charm bracelet, that Callie had never seen on her before. It fitted with three small charms. One was of an anchor, with a blue stone in the middle of it. The next was of a 'T', and the last one was of a small dove. It was slightly big for her wrist, but still suited her perfectly. Callie looked back up to the top of Arizona's body, noticing a light birthmark on the blonde's collarbone, something she hadn't seen before. She found herself intrigued by every part of the other girls body. Eventually, she managed to look at Arizona's face again, and tried to control the heat coming to her cheeks.

"You look really beautiful, Arizona," Callie told the blonde truthfully, and Arizona's cheeks turned a little pink.

"You look stunning, Calliope," Arizona replied, moving closer so they were standing next to each other. "And I'm saying it again, but George really is an idiot."

Callie laughed, taking a sip from her cup. "That he is."

"How's it going with Mark?" Arizona asked, conversationally, but Callie noticed a slight grimace on the blonde's face as she said the words, despite trying to hide it.

"It's clear he'd rather be here with Lexie," Callie shrugged. "But I'm his friend and it's what friends do, I guess. What about you and um, I don't actually know her name, I'm sorry."

"Teddy?" Arizona asked, looking confused.

"No, that girl you were dancing with." Callie gestured to the dance floor, and a look of realisation fell upon Arizona's face.

"Oh, you mean Leah? She's just a girl from the grade below, we only danced for a couple of songs. I don't really know her."

"Oh right."

Callie tried to contain her glee, but the corners of her lips twitched anyway. Was it strange that she was happy that Arizona didn't actually know much about Leah? Maybe. But with Arizona looking like that, anyone would feel the same, wouldn't they? And Arizona was her friend. Her good friend. Her good friend who she found hot as hell. God Callie, she thought, where were all these thoughts coming from?

"Oh, I love this song!" Arizona squealed, as Michael Jackson's _The Way You Make Me Feel_ began playing, her blue eyes lighting up in delight. Her body began to move to the beat of the song, and her hand reached down and grabbed Callie's in her own. "Dance with me?"

Callie met Arizona's pleading eyes, feeling the blonde squeeze her hand, desperate to get onto the dance floor. Callie felt like her head was going to explode. She could do it. If she could get through a dance with Arizona, maybe then she could prove to herself that all them crazy thoughts had been just that: _crazy thoughts._ Plus, friends danced with each other all the time, didn't they? When she had first arrived, she'd seen Meredith and Cristina dancing widely with each other on the dance floor. It was entirely normal. Plus, Arizona was asking _her_ to dance. What kind of idiot would turn Arizona Robbins down?

"Okay," she replied, setting her cup down on the table, and Arizona beamed up at her, tightening her hold on Callie's hand, and pulling her onto the crowded dance floor.

Once they were in the middle of the dance floor, Arizona took hold of Callie's other hand, and their body's began to move in time with the song. There was a respectable amount of space between them, the only parts of their body's touching being their hands. Arizona's hands were very soft in her own, just as they had been that day in biology when she had comforted Callie and calmed her stage fright. Their fingers interweaved, Callie finding that she loved the difference in skintone. As they reached the chorus of the song, Callie took initative, and swung Arizona out with one of her hands, before pulling and twisting the blonde back in, Arizona's back coming to rest near Callie's front. Due to the new close proximity, Callie could smell the sweetness of Arizona's intoxicating perfume, and she had to blink twice to regain composure.

"Wow, you've got some moves, huh?" Arizona asked cheekily, twisting back round to face Callie's front again, retaking their earlier position. This time, however, she was standing a little closer, the smell of her perfume still lingering in the air.

"You know it, Robbins," Callie answered, sending her a grin in turn.

Arizona's eyebrows shot up. "Can you do the moonwalk?"

"Can _you_ do the moonwalk?" Callie asked in turn.

"Of course I can do the moonwalk, what kind of question is that, Calliope?" Arizona huffed, pulling her hands out of Callie's, and taking a step back. Callie was about to protest at the sudden loss, but the words died on her lips as Arizona swiftly began to do the moonwalk in time with the beat, ending with a twist. Arizona smirked at the dumbfounded look on Callie's face, before moonwalking back over to Callie.

Arizona folded her arms, bobbing her head and gesturing for Callie to do it, but Callie just stayed where she was standing.

"How did you even do that in heels?" She asked, completely in awe.

"Talent," Arizona sighed cockily, twirling a curl around her finger.

Callie rolled her eyes and pushed her shoulder, causing Arizona to rupture into giggles. Their eyes met, for what felt like the one hundredth time that evening, and Callie felt herself get lost in the ocean that was Arizona's eyes.

"Want to get a drink?" She asked, even though she had just had one, but her throat had once again gone dry.

"Of course."

* * *

Arizona didn't expect homecoming to be this fun, especially when she had learned Callie was attending with Mark, but she had been pleasantly surprised. She had been sitting alone at a table with Callie for about an hour, talking about various things, but recently Callie had introduced her to the art of people watching. They spent their time looking around the gym at their peers, discussing what conversations they assumed were taking place, based on hand gestures and facial expressions. It wasn't the typical way anyone spent their homecoming dance, but the pair enjoyed it.

"What do you think Meredith and Cristina are talking about?" Callie asked, popping a chip into her mouth, continuing their game.

Arizona fixed her gaze on the twisted sisters, tilting her head to the side and narrowing her eyes. The two were standing in the corner, Meredith frantically waving her arms around her as she ranted about something, while Cristina nodded. It was clear Cristina wasn't really listening, however, as she said something in response to Meredith, which earned her a smack on the arm.

"Meredith's annoyed because she feels Derek isn't paying her much attention, and Cristina asked if Meredith thinks the punch has been spiked or not," Arizona replied smoothly, after considering the options that came into her head, and figuring that what she had said was most likely. Especially considering that Derek was sharing conversation with Alex Karev.

"It's scary how good you are at this," Callie mumbled, and Arizona laughed.

"I'm good at a lot of things, Calliope," Arizona replied with a wink, before she could stop herself.

"Whatever," Callie retorted, sending a mock glare, not taking the bait. "Stop being better at my hobby than I am, you're ruining it for me."

"Not my fault that I'm the best."

"You've been at this school longer than me, you have an unfair advantage."

"Excuses, excuses," Arizona teased, sweeping her eyes around the room, looking for new people to watch. "Teddy and Henry?"

"Uh, maybe they'r-"

"Wait!" Arizona shot out of her seat, her eyes bugling. "Teddy and Henry? When did that happen?"

Teddy and Henry were on the dance floor, Teddy's arms wrapped around Henry's neck, Henry's arms around Teddy's waist. They were talking as they moved softly against each other to the slow song, and Arizona couldn't believe it. A few days ago, Teddy was still crying over Owen Hunt, and now she was wrapped up in the arms of a boy she had never spoken to.

"He asked her to dance while I was getting a drink earlier," Callie recalled, lightly tugging on Arizona's hand, and pulling her back into her seat.

"Did he? What did he say? What did she say?"

"I don't know, I wasn't eavesdropping," Callie laughed. "He seems nice though. She was smiling."

Arizona continued to look at the dance floor, observing how all couples seemed to have ventured out onto the dance floor for the series of love songs that were playing. Meredith had gotten Derek's attention, and was held in his arms as they swayed. Owen and Cristina had joined them, although Cristina seemed less impressed with the concept. Towards the middle, Jackson and Lexie also danced, despite the uneasy look in Lexie's eyes. Arizona hadn't slow danced with anyone in a long time, mainly because she hadn't been in a relationship in over a year. The last time she had slow danced had been with her girlfriend Joanne, but the night was filled with tears and broken promises as Arizona was leaving the next day. Joanne was the only girl Arizona had ever been in an actual relationship with, and leaving had been incredibly hard. She had thought she had loved her. She quickly realised what she felt was just child love, as opposed to the real deal, as Joanne was dating someone new about a month later and Arizona and her had lost all communication. While Arizona was hurt, she quickly realised it was a part of life, and grew accoustomed to change. She also knew that right then, it that moment, she would have done anything to have been slow dancing with Callie. And she was sure it would have been more amazing than slowdancing with Joanne.

Arizona turned her head to face Callie, her breath catching when she saw that Callie was already looking at her. Callie's eyebrows were furrowed, as though she was thinking hard about something. Arizona felt the urge to rub the pad of her thumb along the top of Callie's forehead, and ease away the crinkles, but she fought against it. Callie was clearly debating something in her head, and she didn't want to get in the way. As they continued to stare at each other, Callie seemed to reach an understanding, and a smile eased its way onto her face. Arizona watched Callie relax, and Callie opened her mouth, probably to say something to Arizona, but Arizona never found out what she was going to say. Just as Callie was about to speak, she was cut off by none other than Mark Sloan, the very person Arizona really did not want to see.

"Wanna dance, Torres?" He offered, extending a hand to Callie. He noticed Callie's gaze on Arizona, and turned towards her, offering a quick "Hey Blondie," with a smirk, before looking to Callie expectantly again.

"I'm tired, I don't feel like it, I'm sorry," Callie offered weakly, and Mark groaned.

"Come on, Cal! I've hardly seen you tonight, we came together, remember?"

Arizona wanted to butt in and tell Mark that was because he had been too busy oogling Lexie instead of appreciating Callie, but she bit her tongue. She didn't want to make it awkward, and if Callie wanted to dance with Mark, it was up to her.

"Okay, fine," Callie muttered, sighing and standing up. Arizona's stomach dropped as she watched Mark lead Callie away, onto the dance floor filled with couples. He put his arms around Callie's waist, and Arizona felt her jaw set like stone. Callie's arms went around his neck. Arizona wanted to throw up, wishing it was her on the dance floor with Callie, not Callie with Mark.

Arizona continued to watch them, feeling slightly better at the somehow obvious look of discomfort on Callie's face. Callie glanced in her direction, sending her a sheepish smile and mouthing the words, "I'm sorry," and Arizona shrugged. She knew at least that Callie didn't want to be up there like that with Mark, however that didn't indicate that she would want to be up there with Arizona either, and the thought made Arizona's heart sink a little.

As the song ended, Teddy and Henry bounced off the dance floor, but Mark and Callie stayed dancing, much to Arizona's dismay. Henry kissed Teddy's hand, before walking over to get them drinks no doubt, and a very flustered and happy looking Teddy made her way over to Arizona.

"Henry just started talking to me out of nowhere Az, and he's really sweet. How have I never noticed that before? He's _so_ sweet. And charming. And handsome. And he's such a good dancer, I felt like we could dance forever up there, like no time was passing and-"

"You were right," Arizona interrupted, before she could help it. She wanted to talk about Henry, she truly did, but she felt as though her mind was going to explode. "I like Callie."

Teddy stopped talking, and her eyes bulged.

"Arizona Robbins, the Battleship, has developed feelings for someone?!"

"Shut up, Teddy," Arizona hissed, elbowing her best friend hard.

"It's about time," Teddy murmured, rubbing her arm where Arizona's elbow had jabbed her.

Arizona smiled a little, but it didn't quite meet her eyes. She was screwed.

* * *

 _A:N: Finally, someone has realised their feelings! But what happens now? Next up we have Callie comforting Arizona in her moment of need, and we finally meet The Colonel :)_


	8. Chapter 8

_A:N: Here's Chapter 8! I hope you enjoy it :)_

* * *

 _Chapter 8:_

Monday came quickly, the weekend having flown by. Callie walked quickly to biology, praying she got there in time. She'd had a bit of trouble opening her locker, which was the _perfect_ way to start her Monday morning, but she had sorted it eventually. That just meant that she may be slightly late to her first class of the morning.

Callie hadn't heard from Arizona since Friday, the night of the homecoming dance. She was slightly saddened by the thought, but tried not to dwell on it too much. Friends didn't have to text every day, did they? She had missed the short texts they usually exchanged, but assumed that Arizona was busy. She knew she could have text the other girl, initiating the conversation, but she felt slightly awkward. The night of homecoming, she had realised that she really did find Arizona attractive, in more than just the way girls look at other girls, and was trying to figure out just what that meant. She knew she was probably overthinking everything, but she liked having answers, which was one of the main reasons she was so interested in biology.

Reaching the classroom, Callie was pleased to find that she had made it just in time. She entered the classroom swiftly, walking straight to the back to her and Arizona's desk, only to find Arizona's seat empty. Callie frowned. That was unusual. Arizona was extremely punctual, and always managed to be in class before Callie was, even on days Callie considered herself to be early. If Arizona was late, Callie was never going to let her live it down.

However, Arizona never showed. The class passed slowly, Callie feeling empty inside. She missed Arizona. Seeing Arizona Monday morning was the reason Callie looked forward to Monday mornings. Arizona made her look forward to the first day of the week, and the _morning,_ two things Callie absolutely _hated._ But now, for the first time in weeks, Callie was experiencing an Arizona-less Monday morning, and it was dreadful. She missed watching Arizona make notes, sneaking glances at her whenever she could. She missed the way she hummed random songs as she worked. She missed everything about her lab partner. It was horrible.

When the bell rang, signalling the worst class in history was over, Callie stood up glumly. She pulled her backpack onto her shoulders, sighing heavily. As she made to leave, she noticed Teddy putting her things away into her own bag, and stepped towards her.

"Hey," she said simply, grasping the dark blonde's attention. "Um, where's Arizona? Sorry, I just.. Is she sick or something?"

Teddy just shook her head, picking up her bag.

"After the dance Friday night, Arizona went home and her parents had gotten a call saying that Arizona's Grandmother had passed away. They flew to San Diego early Saturday morning."

Callie's throat when dry. She honestly had no idea at all. She felt bad, incredibly bad. That's why she hadn't heard from Arizona, no wonder, she probably didn't want to talk. She felt stupid, and ran her hand through her hair.

"I had no idea," she said honestly. "She didn't tell me."

"It's not your fault," Teddy reassured her, placing a hand on her arm. "Arizona shuts herself away from everyone when she's hurting. I only found out what happened because her Mother text mine and told her what had happened. I haven't heard from Arizona since Friday, and I don't think I will anytime soon."

Callie nodded, biting down on her lip. "Thanks for telling me. Do you know when they'll be back?"

"Probably at the weekend. Apparently the funeral is on Thursday, so they'll fly back either Friday or Saturday."

Teddy smiled a little at her again, before leaving the classroom.

The rest of the week went even slower than the biology class. Callie found herself incredibly bored and lonely in every aspect. She missed Arizona at times she would't have normally missed her, like in history, even though Arizona wasn't in her class for that. She had sent Arizona a quick text on Monday night, just a simple, _'Thinking of you x -Callie.'_ As expected, Arizona didn't reply, but after what Teddy had told her, Callie didn't think she would. After biology, Callie would copy up the same notes she had made for that class, so that Arizona was up to speed when she got back. She knew her partner knew most things, but she also knew that if it was her, she'd like to have the notes, and she thought Arizona would be the same. She also knew that she could have simply photocopied her notes, but there was something about handwritten notes that couldn't be beaten. Writing them also wasted time, and she was keen for time to go by as quickly as possible.

On Sunday, Callie lay on her bed, staring up at her ceiling. She wanted to know if Arizona was back from San Diego yet, and if she would see the other girl in school the next day. At church that morning, she had prayed for Arizona and her family. Even though she sometimes found it difficult to believe in God, she found herself believing when it mattered. And Arizona Robbins did matter. In every single way. Callie was slowly realising just how much she did matter to her.

As she continued to lie on her bed and wonder about how the Robbins' family were doing, Callie felt her phone vibrate from beside her. Shooting up, Callie quickly found her phone, a sigh of relief escaping her lips when she saw it was from Teddy.

 _Arizona and her parents arrived back late Friday night. Her Mother let mine know earlier on today, and I remembered you were worrying about her. She should be in school tomorrow. She's tough, she'll be okay. -Teddy_

Callie was up and out of her house before she had even thought about it. She jumped into her car, sending a quick thank you text to Teddy, before starting the ignition. She sped to the local flourist, and purchased a bunch of lilies. She also had the notes she had written for Arizona in the passenger seat of her car, and then drove to Arizona's house. As she stepped out of her car, carrying the flowers and the notes, she felt a bit uneasy. Was she stepping over the line? Maybe a little. When her Grandma had died, her parents had appreciated the flowers and offers of help, but maybe Arizona's family didn't want anything.

Shrugging off her nerves, and deciding to go ahead with it anyway, Callie walked up the path, and then up the steps to the porch. Taking a breath, she raised her hand and pressed the doorbell.

After a few moments, the door swung open, revealing a tired looking Barbara Robbins. The older woman's eyes, who looked so much like Arizona's, warmed as they took in Callie's presence.

"Callie, dear, what can I do for you?" Barbara tenderly asked, and Callie's heart softened. Even when grieving, Arizona's Mother really was the sweetest woman.

"I heard about your loss," Callie replied, her voice soft. "I'm really sorry. I, um, I got these for you. And I have some notes for Arizona from biology. I'm not in any other classes with her, otherwise I would have made her more. But, um, is there anything I can do for you? Any cooking or cleaning? I don't mind."

While talking, Callie had handed Barbara the flowers, who smiled at the gesture.

"You don't have to do anything, Callie."

"Are you sure?" Callie questioned. "I don't mind. I'll do anything, honestly."

Barbara opened her mouth again, most likely to tell Callie again that there was nothing she needed, but stopped herself before speaking. It seemed as though an idea had occured to her.

"There is maybe one thing you could do?" Barbara said simply, and Callie nodded quickly in response. "Would you mind going and sitting with Arizona? She hasn't cried at all, and she was incredibly close with Daniel's Mother, I'm worried about her. And she hasn't left her room since we arrived home, only when she has to use the bathroom. Maybe you'll have more luck than me, she's always happier when you're arround."

Callie bit her lip awkwardly. She couldn't turn it down, not after practically begging to help. So Callie simply nodded, somewhat nervous about seeing Arizona for the first time in over a week. Barbara stepped aside, allowing Callie to enter the house, and Callie smiled a little, before making her way over to the stairs. When she reached the top, she walked to the door she knew as Arizona's. While she had never been in Arizona's room before, the two always studying in either the kitchen or living room, she knew which room was the blonde's as the white door was decorated with three purple butterflies.

She raised her hand, and knocked, but didn't get an answer. She remembered that Barbara had told her that Arizona hadn't left her room, and was probably used to ignoring knocks by now.

Clearing her throat, she knocked again, this time speaking as well. "Arizona? It's Callie. Can I come in? I have some notes for you from biology."

For a moment, there was silence, and Callie was sure that there was no way she was going to be able to enter. But then, just when Callie was about to turn around and leave, she heard a soft, croaky voice call out, "Okay."

Smiling a little at the sound of the other girl's voice, Callie opened the door slowly, incase Arizona changed her mind. Luckily she didn't, and Callie soon found herself standing in the doorway of Arizona's bedroom.

Her eyes located Arizona immediately. The blonde was lying on top of her covers on her twin sized bed, curled up on her side that was facing the door. Her laptop was in front of her, but as she realised Callie had entered the room, she pulled the screen down, allowing Callie to see her face. Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, her 49ers sweatshirt clinging to the upper half of her body, while flannel pyjama bottoms covered her legs. Arizona looked extremely tired, as though she hadn't slept in days, and Callie felt her heart ache. The blonde looked hurt, broken, and Callie wanted nothing more than to make everything okay again.

"Are you coming in? The light's hurting my eyes," Arizona said quietly, and Callie nodded, quickly stepping inside. The room was dark, due to the curtains being drawn and no lights being on, but her eyes still glanced around Arizona's room in wonder. The walls were pale purple, the wall above Arizona's bed the home to a poster of Cindy Crawford. The wall the furtherest from Arizona's bed had her desk next to it, Arizona's schools books and folders organised neatly, just as Callie expected. She also had a few shelves on the same wall, which were the home to many books.

"I have a weeks worth of biology notes for you," Callie told her, stepping forward until she reached the side of the bed Arizona's body was facing. "We could go over them, if you want?"

"I actually just felt like watching netflix all day," Arizona replied, biting her lip, looking down.

"Right," Callie said, trying to make sure she didn't sound too disappointed. "I guess I'll see you tomo-"

"You can watch something with me, if you want to?"

Arizona sounded vulnerable, more so than she had ever before, and Callie felt her heart break. She also recalled how Teddy told her that Arizona shut everyone out when she was hurting, so the fact that she had been asked to stay meant a lot to Callie. She also knew how scary it must have been for Arizona.

"Of course I want to. Now scoot over, Robbins."

Arizona smiled a little, looking at Callie in the eyes. She sat up, picking her laptop up with her, and moved over to the side, allowing Callie to drop down onto the space beside her. Callie curled up her legs under her, noticing Arizona do the same. Arizona then set her laptop up in front of them, lifting the screen to show a paused Friends episode.

"Is Friends okay? I was watching Monica and Chandler's wedding, but we can watch something else if you'd prefer."

"Friends is great, I love this show," Callie replied enthusiastically, leaning back against the headboard. Arizona clicked play, and mimicked Callie's actions. Their heads fell near each other's, almost touching but not quite, and Callie could hear Arizona's soft breathing. She quicky worked out why Arizona had chosen to watch this particular episode. Weddings were the opposite of funerals, the happiest of ceremonies. As Ross was struggling to find Chandler, Callie heard Arizona laugh a little, Callie felt her heart warm properly for the first time in days.

"I missed you so much, Arizona," Callie whispered, not even realising she had said the words out loud until Arizona's eyes tore away from the screen and caught her own.

"I missed you too," Arizona breathed, and Callie smiled, placing her left hand atop Arizona's right and squeezing it a little. She left her hand on Arizona's, loving the warm contact, and to her surprise, Arizona flipped her hand, their palms coming into contact. She then interlaced their fingers, holding lightly onto Callie's hand. Arizona was staring at the laptop screen again, so Callie couldn't properly see her reaction, but even in the dark, she was sure she saw a blush rise on Arizona's neck.

They continued watching the episode, enjoying the feel of each other's hands. It had got to the part where Monica was walking down the aisle, when Callie suddenly remembered a very important part of the scene. She reached forwards with her free hand, hoping to pause it before it happened, but it was too late. Monica's Mother had already made the comment about Monica's Grandmother not being present at her wedding. For a second, Callie thought it was okay, maybe that Arizona was in a world of her own and she didn't hear the words, or perhaps she didn't even react because it wasn't important. But that lasted only for a second, and then uncontrollable tears began to flow down the porcelain cheeks. Over a weeks worth of tears had finally had been released, and Arizona sobbed heavily, apparently unable to keep them at bay any longer. Unsure of what else to do, Callie quickly pulled Arizona into her lap, wrapping her arms tightly around her, rubbing her hands up and down Arizona's back. Arizona's head buried itself in Callie's chest, her hands coming up to hold tightly onto the brunette's shirt. Callie placed her head atop Arizona's, rocking her back and forth, the embrace growing tighter and tighter.

"Ssshh," she whispered, placing a small kiss into Arizona's hair. "It's okay, it's okay."

"S-she's g-g-gone," Arizona stuttered, her voice thick with tears, and muffled in Callie's shirt. "I-I miss h-her s-s-so much, an-and Tim d-d-didn't even g-get to s-say g-goodbye."

"I know, I know," Callie murmured, feeling her own tears sting in the corners of her eyes. Her heart was breaking feeling Arizona sob like that, feeling her break down. Arizona was strong and fun and care free, and Callie had never even thought about their being a side to Arizona that was somewhat weak and vulnerable.

"W-we u-used to s-speak nearly e-everday, a-and she's n-not h-here a-anymore."

Callie didn't say anything, she just let Arizona cry, and kept rocking her in her arms. Raising one hand, she eased the hair tie out of Arizona's hair, allowing the curls to become free, and ran a gentle hand through Arizona's hair, knowing that stroking hair often gave others comfort. Arizona's tears were still coming, and Callie knew her shirt was soaked, but she didn't care. Arizona needed this, that she was sure about. She needed to cry, she needed to let it out. Somehow, using her feet and her left hand, Callie managed to close the laptop, place it on the bedside table, and move the two so that they were lying down fully on the bed. Arizona moved closer into the brunette, throwing her legs over Callie's, her face still pressed into Callie's chest. Her tears were still frequent, as where the sound of gentle hiccups. Despite the circumstances, Callie couldn't help but love the feeling of having Arizona in her arms. The blonde hair under her chin smelled of vanilla and lavender, and Callie had a sudden new found appreciation for the smell.

She wasn't sure how long they'd been laying there, but she felt the blonde's tears and hiccups disappear, and be replaced by soft breathing. Raising her head lightly, to allow herself to look down on the other girl, Callie realised that Arizona had fallen asleep in her arms. Her hands were still clutched to Callie's shirt, her head resting softly on Callie's chest. That was another thing Arizona needed. Sleep. Callie drew Arizona closer to her, rubbing her back again. As she laid there, in awe of the sleeping girl in her arms, the door to Arizona's room opened a little, and Barbara's head appeared.

"She's asleep?" Barbara whispered, apparently unfazed by the fact that her daughter was lying in another girl's arms.

"Yeah, she finally cried," Callie replied quietly, careful to not wake Arizona. "Then she fell asleep."

"Thank you so much Callie."

"Do you want me to go now?" Callie asked, uneasy. She didn't want to go, that was the last thing she wanted to do, and luckily, Barbara shook her head.

"This is the first time she's properly slept. You wouldn't mind staying, would you? You're welcome to stay for dinner in a few hours."

"I'd love to stay," Callie said softly, glancing at Arizona. The blonde nuzzled further into Callie's body in her sleep, a soft sigh escaping her lips. Callie blushed at the noise, and raised her head again to see that Barbara was gone, and the door was closed.

Kissing the top of Arizona's head again, Callie closed her own eyes, keeping her arms locked around Arizona. It was surprising how comfortable it felt, having another body lying more or less entirely on top of her, but Callie wasn't going to question it. She felt her mind begin to wander, and before she knew it, she fell asleep herself, her arms still holding onto Arizona with all her might.

* * *

Arizona slowly became aware of her surroundings, her mind and body gently waking up, after what seemed to have been the first good sleep she had had in over a weak. She moved her head a little, feeling her nose come into contact with warm skin, and her eyebrows narrowed. Focusing on her body, careful not to move too much, she noticed the feeling of strong arms wrapped tightly around her, and felt other legs pressed against her own. Keeping her eyes closed, Arizona thought back to what she remembered before sleep had taken over her body.

Callie.

She remembered crying heavily into Callie's chest, after being pulled into the other girl's arms once the tears began to fall. She remembered Callie stroking her hair, and kissing the top of her head, gentle words being spoken into her ears. Callie had laid them down, keeping hold of Arizona, before the blonde had succumbed to tiredness, and fallen asleep.

In her sleep, Arizona had moved her head into the crook of Callie's neck, and one of her hands had found it's way under Callie's shirt and onto her stomach, while the other continued to hold Callie's shirt tightly. Arizona opened her eyes a little, which she knew were most likely bloodshot, and raised her head a little to see that Callie too had fallen asleep. The brunette's breaths were heavy, her chest rising and falling in turn, and the sound and feeling gave Arizona even more comfort.

The last week had been dreadful.

Finding out that her Grandmother had died had completely ruined Arizona. She was filled with guilt, hating herself for not spending more time on the phone with her Grandmother, or for taking her for granted. She was filled with shock, unable to comprehend how that had happened. She had spoken to her just the night before she died, and everything seemed fine, perfectly okay. Except it wasn't okay, because she had a major heart problem that no one was aware of.

The week in San Diego was hard. Sorting through her Grandmother's possessions had been hard. Having to engage in small talk was hard. Arizona felt guilty for not crying, feeling so wrong standing in the church without shedding a single tear, and was struck with questioning why that was. Did she not care enough? Was she a bad Granddaughter? However, after the breakdown in Callie's arms earlier, Arizona realised that she hadn't cried because she was in denial. It hadn't seemed real. She had shut herself away from everyone, and hadn't allowed herself to feel anything. She had shut her parents out, especially once she had gotten home. She needed to be alone, she needed to find a way to feel better again, and she couldn't do that with people constantly asking her how she felt. That's all her parents were doing. She didn't need anyone. She never did. Well, she thought she didn't. It wasn't until she heard Callie's voice on the other side of her door that she realised maybe she did want the brunette with her. Callie didn't ask her how she was feeling, or bother her with questions. She was just being normal Callie, and Arizona liked normal Callie.

And she had missed Callie too.

She hadn't replied to the texts she had received, from Teddy, or her team, or even Callie. She didn't want to keep them in the dark, but she didn't know how to approach the situation, especially not with Callie. Callie had constantly filled her mind. She missed her smile, her laugh, the weird faces she made when concentrating. She missed her voice, the snarky remarks she always had as backup to Arizona's own sarcasm. She missed everything about Callie Torres. What was crazy was that she had just accepted that she liked her lab partner as more than just a friend, and then the worst thing possible had occurred, and Arizona couldn't think about Callie, because thinking about Callie instead of her Grandmother would have made her feel incredibly guilty.

But how can one not think about Calliope Torres?

Arizona didn't want to lose the embrace, and snuggled her head back into Callie's neck, hoping to be able to go back to sleep. She gently moved the hand that was under Callie's shirt, reveling in the smoothness of the skin, and a light moan emitted from Callie's mouth. The sound was so beautiful and hot, and Arizona stilled her hand, knowing that Callie could very well wake up, and then their comfort would be broken.

Arizona felt herself slowly beginning to drift to sleep again, when she heard the soft opening of her door. Keeping her eyes closed, and not moving her body, Arizona didn't want to let her Mother know she was awake.

"Callie? Callie, dear?"

Barbara Robbins sounded close, and as she said Callie's name again, Arizona felt Callie's body move, her muscles tense a little as she woke up. Arizona wondered how Callie would react to their position, however Callie's arms simply hugged Arizona's body even tighter if possible.

"Is dinner ready?" Callie asked, her voice ridden with sleep, making her sound incredibly sexy.

"Yes it is. Would you mind waking Arizona and seeing if she would come down?"

After Callie mumbled a yes, Barbara left the bedroom, and Arizona felt Callie sigh. The brunette's hands rubbed soft circles on Arizona's back, before her fingers trailed into the blonde's hair, and Arizona fought the urge to moan loudly, knowing that she was still meant to be asleep. Callie's hands were like magic, Arizona finally being able to appreciate them, as in her state before, she didn't quite remember how her hands had felt.

"Arizona? Can you wake up for me?" Callie sounded more awake this time, her voice close to Arizona's ear, and Arizona nuzzled her nose closer into Callie, causing Callie's breath to hitch. "Come on Arizona, wake up."

"Mmm," Arizona let out. "Why?"

"I think you Mom's hoping for us to join her and your Father dinner," Callie whispered. "Do you feel like that would be okay?"

Arizona finally leaned up, staring down at the girl beneath her. Callie's eyes looked tired, her hair messy, but Arizona thought she had never looked more beautiful. Her brown eyes were filled with warm and comfort, and Arizona desperately wanted to snuggle back into Callie's embrace, but she didn't. She wasn't crying anymore, and she wasn't sleeping either, so she had no reason to.

"Maybe?" Arizona thought out loud, the idea of spending dinner with her parents making her slightly nervous. She had cut them out for a few days, and didn't know how to react.

"I think it's a good idea," Callie told her, sitting up. Arizona's hand slipped out from under Callie's shirt, and they both blushed. Arizona awkwardly removed herself from Callie's body, immediately feeling the loss. "Plus, you're back at school tomorrow, so leaving your room now is definitely going to make tomorrow easier. And you are coming in tomorrow, because there's no way I can last another day without you."

Arizona smiled at the sincerity and affection of Callie's words, and found herself nodding along. "Okay, I can do it," she said softly. "You're staying, right?"

"Of course I am," Callie told her, running her thumb over the back of Arizona's hand comfortingly. "Now come on, let's go before it gets cold."

Callie made to get up, but Arizona quickly grabbed hold of her hand, and pulled her back to the bed.

"I'm sorry, Calliope," Arizona apologised, embarrassment setting in. "For crying over you, and then falling asleep on you, and-"

"Hey, I fell asleep too," Callie interrupted, catching the blonde's eye, and giving her a smile that made Arizona's stomach twist. "You have nothing to be sorry for, honestly Arizona."

Arizona nodded, accepting what Callie was saying, and the pair got up from Arizona's bed, and departed the room. She noticed Callie awkwardly smoothing down her clothes, and attempting to comb her fingers with her hair, mumbling something about 'meeting her Father for the first time' and 'I hope I look presentable.' Arizona hid a laugh at the pure adorableness that was Callie.

They walked down the stairs, Arizona a few feet behind Callie, and they entered the dining room together, to see that Arizona's Father, Daniel, was already seated at the head of the table, and Barbara was seated on his left. Arizona blushed as she felt her parent's gaze on her, awkwardly shifting her weight from foot to foot. She knew she looked dreadful, and desperately wanted to retract back to her room, but Callie's hand grasping hers and giving a small squeeze brought her back to reality. However, as quick as the gesture came, it was gone.

"Arizona, it's lovely to see that you've joined us for dinner," her Mother said, love shining in her voice. "And you too Callie."

Arizona smiled a little, dropping into the seat opposite her Mother.

"Thank you for inviting me," Callie replied, standing behind Arizona, unsure of where to sit. As Arizona was about to tell her to sit next to her, Daniel cleared his throat, making the two girls jump.

"Oh, right," Arizona said, locking eyes with her Father. "Dad, this is Calliope Torres. Calliope, this is my Father, Daniel Robbins."

"Callie's just fine," Callie laughed, a little forcefully, as she stepped closer to where Daniel was sitting. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir." Callie extended her hand forward for Daniel to shake, and Arizona winced as her Father's cool eyes simply stared at it.

"The Colonel," he corrected, not bothering to raise his hand to meet Callie's.

Callie dropped her hand, her cheeks flushing red.

"Daniel," Barbara said angrily, as Arizona muttered, "Dad!" When Daniel didn't do anything but simply take a sip from his wine glass, Barbara continued. "Callie is the reason your daughter has left her room and joined us for dinner, I think you could be a bit kinder to her."

Callie dropped into the seat beside Arizona, and Arizona mouthed a quick 'I'm sorry.' Her Father wasn't exactly the easiest person to get to know, as many of her other friends had discovered, and she really didn't want him scaring Callie off.

"Sir's just fine," Daniel said eventually, under the intense gaze of his wife.

The four of them silently helped themselves to spaghetti carbonara that Barbara had made, Arizona only giving herself a small amount, as she felt quite sick. She was thankful that Callie was sitting beside her, saving her from an interrogation from her parents. She didn't feel like talking too much, not having anything to say. The only things fresh on her mind were her Grandmother's passing, and her realisation of her feelings towards Callie, neither being something she wanted to discuss. She did hope that her Mother would start talking about something soon though, as the silence was killing her. As if she had heard her silent plea, Barbara directed a question towards Callie.

"How did your week go, Callie?"

Arizona turned to look at the girl sitting beside her. Callie swallowed what she had in her mouth, before opening her mouth to respond.

"It was pretty boring actually ," she replied honestly. "I didn't realise how much I relied on Arizona's presence."

Arizona felt her heart pound at Callie's words, and focused on her plate, not wanting anyone to see her reaction, especially not Callie. However, if she had looked up, she would have seen that Callie's cheeks were as pink as Arizona's after her words, something both of Arizona's parents picked up on.

"What do you parents do?" Daniel asked bluntly.

"My Mom is a lawyer," Callie told him simply. "And my Dad, he uh, he-"

Arizona knew straight away that Callie was reluctant to answer, but didn't want to lie to Arizona's Father either. She was aware that Callie's family's money was not something Callie wanted to share with others, at least not yet, so Arizona found herself cutting in.

"He works in a hotel business," she said swiftly, three sets of eyes darting in her direction.

"She can speak for herself, 'Zona," Daniel said sternly, narrowing his eyes.

"This isn't an interview," Arizona stated, placing her fork on her plate. "Callie's my friend, and she's here for dinner. You don't have to interrogate her. She's a guest."

Daniel quirked an eyebrow, expecting his daughter to back down and look away, but Arizona straightened her back, and looked him right in the eye. After a moment, Daniel sighed, and helped himself to a mouthful of pasta, and Arizona felt pleased with herself.

"Are you seeing anyone, Callie? What do you want to study at college? Any ideas for a future career?"

"We were just told by her highness to not interrogate her," Daniel muttered, and both Arizona and Barbara shot him a hard look, while Callie laughed into her food.

"No, I'm not seeing anyone," Callie answered, a quick look in Arizona's direction.

"Arizona's not either," Barbara informed Callie, and Arizona groaned. "She hasn't brought anybody home since Joanne, and that was well over a year ago. Unless there's someone she isn't telling me about it."

"There isn't anyone, Mom!" Arizona said, shaking her head. "And I've told you, as soon as there is someone, you'll know, but right now there isn't."

She wasn't lying either. She wasn't seeing anybody. There was only one person she did want to see, and that someone happened to be sitting beside her.

"I think I want to study medicine," Callie continued, noticing the awkwardness that was setting in, and answering the next question. "I want to go into a career with medicine I think, maybe a surgeon? I don't know. I like having the answers, and being able to understand why things work in the way they do. I like knowing what keeps us together, why our bodies react the way they do. I just love the answers. I love learning the answers, and coming up with them. And I find the body absolutely fascinating. I broke my elbow when I was 11, and I needed surgery, and even though I was in a great deal of pain, it's one of the most amazing experiences of my life. My surgeon explained what they were going to do, and I kept asking more questions. Why was he going to do that? What other options did he have? What did my X-rays show? Why did they use X-rays? He had all the answers, and I want to be like that. I want to be the one with the answers."

The three Robbins' stared at Callie intently, Daniel looking at the brunette with new found respect. Barbara seemed ecstatic about something, her eyes shining with happiness. Arizona simply found herself struck with wonder. Medicine, specifically surgery, was her own dream, and hearing Callie talk about the same thing filled her with awe. Callie was perfect, in every way. She hadn't heard anyone else ever talk about her passion like she did herself, not until Callie came along.

"You want to go into medicine too, don't you dear?" Barbara asked Arizona.

"Yeah," Arizona replied, keeping her gaze fixed on Callie. The brown eyes held her own, and she found them addicting.

The rest of the meal passed with Callie answering a few more questions, Daniel treating her a lot nicer than he had to begin with. He hadn't told her that she could call him by his first name though, not that Arizona had been expecting it, but she knew the two were well on the way there. For the first time in a week, Arizona felt happy and at ease. Her mind wasn't fixed on the dreadful events, but instead, she felt comfortable. Callie made her feel comfortable. Whether it was her arms around her, her voice reaching her ears, or the feel of her hand on hers, Callie just had something that mad Arizona feel okay again.

As the day came to an end, and Callie was bidding her farewells, Arizona couldn't help herself as she leaned up and placed her lips on the soft tanned skin of Callie's cheek. She felt Callie's cheek heat up under her touch, and she set herself back on her feet, smiling at the girl in front of her.

"Thank you. Just.. thank you, Calliope."

"You're welcome, Arizona."

That night Arizona fell asleep to the scent of Calliope Torres lingering on her pillow, feeling that maybe everything wasn't so bad after-all.

* * *

 _A:N: I'm glad so many of you are liking this story, and I hope you liked this chapter :) Next up: It's Arizona's birthday, and the girls go bowling. But who's the better bowler, and who's the one that needs a little assistance?_


	9. Chapter 9

_A:N: A new chapter! Yay! Sorry this one took longer to upload, but I've been extra busy this week with christmas being so close and all :) If I don't update before christmas, I hope you all have an amazing time on christmas day!_

* * *

 _Chapter 9_

"Come on, come on," Callie whispered, her eyes narrowed as she focused on the blue bowling bowl that was speeding towards the set of pins. Her bottom lip was drawn between her teeth, concentrating hard on the scene before her. The ball was closing in on the pins, slightly off centre, and if she had successfully put a spin on it, it should turn at the last minute and-

"YES!" Callie shouted victoriously, all ten pins tumbling to the ground. She spun around, shooting a dumbfounded Arizona a smug grin. It was only her first go, and she had gotten a strike, already off to an amazing start. She had been worried that she had left her bowling skills back in Miami, but apparently that hadn't been the case. She was _still_ as good as ever.

"Unbelievable," Arizona muttered, folding her arms across her chest.

Callie dropped down onto the seat beside her, unable to wipe away the smirk. April got up to take her own turn. Arizona twisted her body away from Callie's, the frown on her face growing larger with each passing second. Callie laughed, knowing just how competitive Arizona was. It had been three weeks since the passing of Arizona's Grandmother, and two weeks since Callie had comforted Arizona in her room, and then joined the Robbins' family for dinner. Arizona was still having trouble with the passing, as expected, but had improved greatly, something Callie was very happy about. She hadn't had to deal with another Arizona-less Monday morning, not that she ever wanted to. At the end of the week before, Teddy had asked Arizona what she had planned for her birthday, and that had been the first Callie had heard of it. She had been hurt that Arizona hadn't told her how close her birthday was, but had quickly forgiven the blonde when she had admitted that with everything going on, celebrating her birthday wasn't something she had been thinking about. Callie had also came to her own realisation that this would not only be Arizona's first birthday without her Grandmother, but also her first birthday without Tim being present.

After declaring that she didn't want to do anything for her birthday, Callie and Teddy had tried hard to get Arizona to agree to _something,_ which had taken longer than they both had anticipated; Arizona really was stubborn. Eventually, she had given in to the idea of her and the girls in her cheer team (along with Callie of course) going bowling on Friday night, the day before Arizona's birthday, only if everybody promised not to buy her any presents. That had been hard for Callie to give in to, so she lied and said she wouldn't, even though she really had bought the blonde a gift. The rest of the girls on the team had chipped in and bought Arizona a large specially made cake, which everybody had shared at Arizona's house before leaving for bowling. Callie found it nice that the whole team had gotten together to celebrate Arizona's birthday and to engage in a simple noncompetitive game of bowling. Well, it was meant to be noncompetitive, but with the look on Arizona's face, Callie knew it was far from it. She also knew that it probably had something to do with how badly Arizona sucked at bowling. Seeing as she was the birthday girl, Arizona had gone first, and had shocked everyone by only knocking down two pins. It wasn't everyday you discovered that Arizona Robbins was bad at something.

"Woohoo!" April yelled, as she managed to knock down 5 of the pins with her first go. She slapped Callie a high-five as she went to retrieve the ball and take the second shot. Arizona tutted, her frown growing even more if that was possible. Callie couldn't help but think a pouting angry Arizona was completely adorable, resembling a cute puppy.

"You know, giving me the silent treatment isn't going to change the fact that I'm already beating your ass, so you might as well just be nice and talk to me," Callie said sweetly, leaning closer to Arizona.

"Please, you're not beating my ass. That was one go, I was warming up," Arizona retorted, turning her body back so she could look Callie in the eye. Despite the confidence in her voice, Arizona's eyes gave her away, showing just vulnerable Arizona truly felt.

"Of course you were," Callie laughed, earning a quick slap on her arm.

No one in the team were quite as good as Callie, a few getting spares in their first go but no strikes, but it was clear that the worst bowler was Arizona, as everyone else managed to knock down more than two pins. When it came to Arizona's second turn, the blonde stood up confidently, walking over to collect her ball, and then went forward to bowl. Callie watched her, her eyebrows raised, as Arizona pitifully tried to bowl, but it was clear it wasn't working out for her. She wasn't stood in the right stance, her body was slightly off centre, and she seemed to chuck the ball instead of doing it how it should be done. Her aim was appalling, and Callie winced as the ball whisked into the gutter within two seconds of leaving Arizona's hand. Arizona huffed, twisting back round and storming over to collect another ball for her second attempt. The next time, the ball didn't go in the gutter, but she barely manged to scrape one pin.

Callie got up to take her second turn, Arizona barging past her as she went to sit down. Callie's eyes widened, exchanging a look with Teddy who looked as though she was about to burst out into loud laughter. Callie hoped she didn't, not wanting the other girl to die at the hands of her best friend.

Callie bowled, knocking down nine of the ten pins to her dismay, but easily managed to knock down the remaining one in her next turn.

"Wow, you're really good at bowling," Izzie Stevens commented, as Callie sat down again. Callie just shrugged in response, not too keen on talking to Izzie. They didn't talk much, but Callie felt like Izzie was judging her, despite the somewhat friendly approach. Callie knew that Arizona wasn't very close with Izzie, and that the only reason she was there was because she was on the team. The only girl on the cheer team who wasn't present at their outing was Lauren, and it was clear to everyone why that was.

"Are you really not going to speak to anyone on your birthday trip, just because you happen to be the worst bowler in the history of bowling?" Callie asked Arizona, her eyes fixed on Teddy as she took her go.

"I've never been bowling before," Arizona mumbled after a moment of silence, her cheeks shining with embarrassment. "Well, I have, but that was when I was like 7 and I used the kiddy ramps and the bumpers were up. It looked so easy when you watch other people do it. How are you so good? It's not fair."

"I've been bowling a lot," Callie replied honestly. "You'll get the hang of it soon."

However, it soon became clear that Arizona was not going to be getting the hang of bowling anytime soon. On her third turn, she scored a large 0, both of her balls going in the gutter, and on her fourth, she managed to knock down three pins, which so far was her personal best. Arizona didn't seem to be enjoying the game as much as everyone else, especially not when Callie scored another strike just after Arizona had been. Callie felt bad as she watched everybody else enjoying themselves. She knew that this birthday was hard enough on Arizona as it was, but this surely wasn't helping. Teddy had also noticed that Arizona wasn't as happy as she could have been, and bought her a blue slushie in an attempt to cheer her up, but it didn't work. As Arizona was about to take her fifth go, Callie knew she had to do something to help, and quickly jumped up.

"Wait," she called out, halting Arizona's movements, luckily before the other girl had taken the first part of her go. Arizona looked over her shoulder, frowning.

"What?"

"You're going about it all wrong," Callie said softly, easing the ball out of Arizona's hands, and placing it down for a moment. "You're not in the right stance, you're holding the ball wrong, and your technique is off too."

"Way to shoot a girl when she's down," Arizona muttered, clearly not understanding that Callie was trying to help.

"First of all, you're too close. You want to put a bit of space between yourself and the lane, so you can move with the ball to get some swing behind it," Callie told her, grabbing Arizona's hand and leading her further back. "Stay here."

Callie picked up the ball again, and put it back in Arizona's hands. "Put your thumb in here, and your middle and ring fingers in here."

Arizona did what Calile instructed without protest, using her left hand to keep a grip on the ball. Callie stepped behind her, putting her arms around Arizona's as she slowly adjusted the position. She felt Arizona subconsciously lean back into her arms, her intoxicating scent invading Callie's nostrils. It felt so good to have her arms around the other girls, as though it was the most natural thing in the world. She wanted nothing more than to tighten her arms around Arizona's body. Callie had to take a deep breath, reminding herself why they were in that position in the first place. It was hard though, as Arizona's smaller body fitted so perfectly in line with hers, and the thought made Callie feel as though she was going crazy. She slid her right arm down Arizona's her hand covering Arizona's, so that their arms were parallel.

"You're going to take a step forward towards the lane, and as you do, swing the ball back. Once you reach the red line, swing it forward again."

Her mouth was close to Arizona's neck, her breath brushing against the pale skin that was bare due to Arizona's hair being up in a ponytail. She could have sworn she felt Arizona shiver as she spoke. The urge to lean forward and drop a light kiss on the flesh was hard to fight, but she did, knowing it would be passing boundaries if she did so.

"You ready?" Callie asked, and Arizona vigorously shook her head. The two of them stepped forward together, Callie using her hand and arm to direct Arizona's as much as she could. When they reached the red line, they both released the ball, and watched as it sailed towards the pins. When the ball reached the pins, it knocked six of them down, and made the seventh wobble. It wasn't the best shot, but it was considerably better than any of Arizona's other attempts.

The blonde turned round quickly, a wide smile on her face as she flung herself into Callie's arms, wrapping them tight around Callie's neck. Callie stumbled slightly, luckily managing to regain her balance.

"We did it! We did it, we did it, we did it!"

"You've got another turn yet," Callie reminded her, running a hand up and down Arizona's back. "Think you can handle this one yourself?"

Arizona pulled away, nodding firmly, before practically skipping over to pick up her ball. She remembered what Callie had told her, and stood a little way away from the lane. Her stance was still a little off, as was her positioning, but she managed to knock down a further two more pins, making her score of that turn an eight in total. It was amazing how one fairly decent score could improve Arizona's mood, and Callie knew she didn't want to ruin that by getting an amazing score on her own next turn. Picking up her own ball, already deciding on what to do, Callie threw it, watching as it slid into the gutter.

"Really, Calliope?" Arizona said, clearly not trying to hide the grin on her face. "What even was that?"

"Bad shot," Callie lied, trying to act as though she was really upset with what had happened. However, she knew she had been caught out when Teddy sent her a knowing smirk, and all she could do was smile sheepishly in response.

* * *

After Callie had aided her in how to bowl properly, Arizona found herself thoroughly enjoying the game a lot more. She wasn't as good as Callie, who had eventually won the game, like Arizona knew she would, but she wasn't as bad as she had been. On her last go, she had even managed to get a spare, something that she had never expected and she had once again launched herself into Callie's arms, knowing it was thanks to her that she was able to do such a thing. Arizona even shocked everyone by not coming last, barely scraping a higher score than Izzie. Izzie had joked that she needed Callie's help, something that had made Arizona's insides boil at the thought of Callie holding anyone else in the way she had held Arizona. She knew she had no right to think like that, as her and Callie were just friends. Since that day when Callie had held Arizona while she cried, the two had become more affectionate, often sharing in long hugs, and occasionally kissing each other on the cheek as a friendly gesture. Not that Arizona kissed any of her other friends on the cheek. She had also been sure that a few times Callie had been flirting with her, although that wasn't something she had much confidence in. It certainly seemed as though Callie was flirting with her, but she also knew that straight girls flirted with each other sometimes as a bit of light conversation, and it shouldn't be taken seriously. However, Arizona being gay, and having a pretty large crush on Callie, she often found herself hoping it wasn't like that.

After the game had finished, they all shared pizza and fries from the diner that was inside the bowling place. Teddy had insisted on buying Arizona her food, and Arizona had eventually given in to her best friend, knowing how persistent she could be. The team all sat around together, sharing in stories of random things that had happened during the week, though Arizona rarely found herself paying attention. Instead, she couldn't help but watch Callie, completely enamored with the brunette. She longed to be able to glide her hands through her dark hair, or trail her hands up the delicious caramel skin. The sight of Callie's plump lips covered with a light touch of red lipstick made Arizona's heart beat wildly. She wanted to kiss them, and find out if Callie's lips really were as soft and perfect as they looked.

"Y'know, if you keep staring at her somebody else is going to realise your feelings, and that someone may just be Callie," Teddy teased, her voice quiet as she whispered into Arizona's ear.

"I can't help it," Arizona groaned slightly, forcing her eyes away from Callie and fixing them on the napkin in front of her. "She's gorgeous and people tend to stare at gorgeous things."

"If it makes you feel any better, she hasn't been able to keep her eyes off of you either."

"What? Really?"

"Oh please," Teddy said, rolling her eyes. "Every time you're not looking at her, she's looking at you. Not to mention the way she helped you bowl. Were you present?"

"She was being friendly," Arizona mumbled weakly, not wanting to get her hopes up.

"She's into you," Teddy replied confidently. "Maybe she doesn't know it yet, or maybe she doesn't understand it yet, but I'm telling you; she's into you."

Arizona shook her head, not believing it. The thought of Callie liking her in the way she liked Callie made her insides squirm with excitement. It had been so long since someone had made her feel that way, probably not since her last girlfriend Joanne, but Arizona was sure it had never felt as strong as this. She didn't even know how to control her feelings properly. Surely Callie could tell, couldn't she? She could still feel Callie's arms holding her and guiding her in how to bowl, a part of her wishing she had continued playing bad just to get the feel of Callie's arms around her again.

"We should get a group selfie!" April squealed suddenly, jumping up and waving her phone around.

"I don't think we'd all manage to fit," Teddy joked, although it was true.

"I can take the picture," Callie offered, with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'm not part of the team so I don't mind."

"Really Callie? Thank you, that would be-" April started to speak, but Arizona quickly cut her off.

"You have to be in the picture, Calliope! If we're taking one, you're in it. Simple as."

Callie stared at Arizona, her brown eyes full of affection. Arizona blushed a little at the intense gaze, but didn't move her eyes. There was something she loved about staring into those eyes, something that made her feel safe and well and even loved. Callie was like a beacon of light, of hope, and even if they were only ever friends and nothing more, she loved that Callie symbolised that for her.

"We could take individual selfies with each other then," Teddy suggested, breaking the two out of their staring match.

"And then put them in a scrapbook!" April exclaimed, clasping her hands together in excitement. Teddy rolled her eyes, but Arizona smiled, finding the idea to actually be really sweet.

"Come here, Battleship," Teddy said, pulling Arizona forward into a hug, and holding up her phone. Their shoulders fell together, and she snapped a quick picture of them. They then did another, both of them going cross eyed and sticking their tongues out, which produced funny and fairly good pictures.

Arizona was then dragged into getting selfies with April, Reed, and even Izzie, before finally she felt a tug on her hand. The butterflies in her stomach confirmed that it was Callie before she had even turned to face her, and when she did, the butterflies seemed to explode. Callie grinned at her, dangling her phone in front of Arizona's face.

"Any chance I can snap a picture with the birthday girl?"

"I'm not the birthday girl yet," Arizona reminded her, arching an eyebrow.

"Details, details," Callie replied, pulling Arizona to her side, the words resembling that of their second meeting making Arizona laugh.

They stood close together, their breath mixing as Callie placed her phone in front of them, their faces appearing on the screen. Callie's arm snaked around Arizona's waist, pulling her closer so that they both fitted the screen well. They smiled, Callie snapping the picture, before doing the same as what Arizona and Teddy had done, and took a silly picture, one that made Callie laugh really hard. Then, before she had even thought twice about it, Arizona closed her eyes and leaned her face towards Callie's, placing her lips on Callie's cheek. She heard the click of Callie taking the picture, before pulling back, hoping that her blush hadn't appeared in the picture. They both looked down, Arizona realising just how couple-y the last picture made them seem. Callie's smile was wide as she beamed towards the camera, Arizona's face turned, showing off her neck.

"You'll have to send these to me," Arizona said, hoping she would be able to refrain from making one of them her lockscreen.

"Of course."

Callie bit her lip as though she was considering something, and then grabbed Arizona's hand and pulled her back towards the table. The other girls were so deep in their selfie taking that they didn't realise they had left the group.

Callie pulled out a neatly wrapped rectangular package from her bag, and handed it to Arizona.

"Callie," Arizona sighed, realising what it was. After all, it wouldn't take a genius to work it out. "I said no birthday presents."

"Ah," Callie said, holding a finger up. "This is only one third birthday present. It is also one third 'thank you for being an awesome lab partner' present, and one third 'you're a great friend' present. It's two thirds not birthday present, so you have to accept it."

"You're a dork," Arizona chuckled, stroking the paper. "Does that mean I can open it now?"

"Nope, the one third birthday present part means it has to be opened on your birthday."

"Meanie."

"Baby," Callie retorted.

Arizona smiled, placing the present into her bag, and then hugged Callie for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night, murmuring a thank you into her neck.

* * *

The clock had been on 11:59 for about an hour, Callie was sure. There was no way less than one minute had passed. Her clock had to be broken, hadn't it? Checking the time on her phone, Callie groaned when she saw that it also displayed the same time. Staring at the time, she clenched her fists, waiting for the digits to change.

Finally, the 11:59 changed into a 00:00, and Callie jumped in the air. Quickly fumbling with her phone, she found Arizona's name in record time, and called it as fast as she could.

"Hello?" Came an awake voice from the other end of the line, making Callie sigh in relief. She had been terrified that she would have woken Arizona up.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you," Callie sang quietly, unable to help herself from smiling. "Happy birthday Dear Arizona, happy birthday to you!"

"Did you really stay up just to call me as soon as the clocks changed to midnight?" Arizona asked once she had stopped singing, amusement shining through her voice.

"Maybe," Callie replied, laying down and pressing her phone to her ear.

"Can I open your gift now? Seeing as it's technically my birthday?"

"Fine."

"Yay!"

She heard rustling on the other end as Arizona grabbed the present and began to unwrap it. Callie bit her lip nervously, hoping Arizona liked what she had bought. When the rustling stopped, silence filled the room, and for a moment Callie was sure the call had somehow been disconnected. Frowning, she pulled away and saw that she was still on the phone, before placing the phone back to her ear.

"Arizona?"

"You, Calliope Torres, are amazing," Arizona's voice said softly, making Callie's heart melt. "You remembered."

Callie had bought her a hardback collectors edition of Shakespeare's A Twelfth Night. She had remembered Arizona telling her how it was her favourite Shakespeare play when they had played a game of twenty questions, Arizona saying how her and Tim were like Viola and Sebastian, seeing as they looked so much alike. Arizona had then laughed when recalling how Tim had said that if Arizona was Viola she would have embraced Olivia's affections, as opposed to having them for the Duke. Callie had never read the play, and had been confused at first with Arizona's story, but then had read up on the plot and it had made more sense. She knew Arizona probably already had a copy, but when she had seen the special copy of it while out shopping, she just had to buy it for her.

"Of course I remembered, I remember everything about you," Callie told her, wincing at how she sounded. Luckily, Arizona didn't seem to mind.

"I love it. And I love the meaning behind it. Thank you, Calliope."

"You're welcome. You should probably go to sleep now. I'll call you again later, I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday."

"I appreciate it," Arizona replied, stifling a yawn, which told Callie she was right to cut their conversation short.

"Goodnight birthday girl," she whispered, smiling.

"Goodnight, Calliope."

It was the first time they had shared a late night phone-call. But it definitely wasn't the last.

* * *

 _A:N: I hope you enjoyed the update :) Next time: Arizona appears to go on a 'date', something which makes Callie properly confront her feelings for her lab partner._


	10. Chapter 10

_A:N: Hey guys! I hope you all had an amazing Christmas! Also, checkout my Christmas oneshot if you haven't already ;)_

* * *

 _Chapter 10:_

Arizona preferred running in the colder weather. Now that it was November, and t-shirts and shorts had long since been replaced with jeans and sweaters, Arizona found that running in the cooler air was better for her. She still quickly grew hot with each stride she took, but it wasn't as stuffy as running in the summer. She could certainly feel sweat rolling off of her forehead, and her breathing still became hard, but the chill in the air soothed her in a way that hot air just couldn't.

Also, running was a great way to relieve sexual frustration. Something that she hadn't needed to relieve during the summer.

Quickening her pace as she turned a corner, Arizona grinned as a new song started playing. She had set up a work out playlist on her phone, something which often got her in the mood. Not that she really needed it. Running was her thing after all, she loved it with every ounce of herself.

Arizona paused as she reached the next corner, taking a long sip from her water-bottle. She continued to breath heavily, her legs beginning to ache and feel like jelly. She wasn't too far from her house, and was determined to make it back by running. As she was about to make a run for it again, quite literally, a person stepped into her space, halting her movements. Raising her head, to try and politely tell the person to move the hell out of her way, Arizona found herself facing hazel eyes.

"Hey Zona, I haven't seen you around," the person said. It was a girl, around her age, with shoulder length red hair and pale skin which was covered in freckles. She was smirking at Arizona, in a way she knew all too well, and after a moment, Arizona realised who the mysterious girl was.

"Amber," Arizona said simply, smiling a little, and hitting pause on her phone. She was still out of breath.

"How you been?"

Amber was a girl who's mother worked with Arizona's. She was in the same grade as Arizona, but she went to a different High School, due to where her house was. Arizona had hung out with her a bit when they had first moved to Baltimore, but hadn't seen her in a few months. Nothing had ever happened between them, due to there always being someone else with them, but their had definitely been some flirting, something Arizona remembered quite clearly.

"Okay, you?" Arizona replied, slightly awkward. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other.

"Great," Amber said softly, eyeing Arizona up and down, her tongue coming up to moisten her lips as she very clearly checked Arizona out. "Wanna catch a movie one day later this week? _Hang out_ again?"

The strong implication on the words hang out was clear, something which made Arizona's insides squirm. A month ago she would have jumped at the offer, but she felt like there was something tugging her back. Callie. Nothing had happened between them, and there was no indication that anything was going to happen, but Arizona struggled to get her lab partner out of her head.

"I'll let you know," Arizona told her eventually, figuring that was the best way to go. Not exactly saying yes, but then again, she wasn't exactly saying no. It gave her more time to think.

"Okay," Amber shrugged, sending her a wink, before she left, leaving Arizona standing alone on the sidewalk. Shaking her head, and rolling her eyes at herself, Arizona began to run again, ignoring the burn in her legs.

* * *

The next day at school, Arizona found herself once again dwelling on the idea. She was slumped over a book in the library, not that she was actually reading, but she felt conflicted about what to do. Amber was hot, and nice, and wanted to go to the movies with her, even if something casual was all it was. Which was fine because casual was what Arizona Robbins typically did. On the other hand, the red head wasn't Callie. Callie was the one that made Arizona's stomach erupt into thousands of butterflies, Callie was the one who made her weak at the knees. Callie was the one she liked, and the once she wanted to go to the movies with. She couldn't get Callie out of her head. She couldn't escape the feel of Callie's arms around her as she showed her how to bowl, or how her soft cheek felt under her lips. Amber wasn't Callie. Then again, Callie wasn't the one asking her out.

"Thinking about a certain brunette, are we Battleship?" Teddy asked, dropping into the seat next to Arizona.

"Kind of," Arizona mumbled, frowning. She groaned loudly, letting her head drop forward onto her book. "I got asked out. Sort of. I think."

"By Callie?" Teddy's voice was filled with excitement at the idea of Arizona and Callie going on a date, but Arizona quickly shot down the idea.

"No," she grumbled, raising her head a little to meet Teddy's eyes. Her best friend stared back at her. "By Amber. You remember? The redhead? I haven't seen her in a while but then I saw her yesterday and she asked if I wanted to go to the movies. And she winked. God."

Teddy's eyebrows shot up into her hair. She stayed quiet for a moment, thinking over the situation in her head, unsure of how to proceed. After a little while, she spoke up.

"Are you going to go?"

"I don't know Teds. I like Callie, I do, but nothing is happening. Literally nothing, and I shouldn't expect it to because she's not gay or into me-"

"She is into you."

"-And Amber is and she wants to go to the movies with me. And she's pretty. But I don't know."

"Callie is into you," Teddy told her, ignoring what Arizona said. "She totally is, I know it. I'm not blind Arizona."

"Yeah, well we said Owen was into you and now he's dating Cristina Yang," Arizona retorted bitterly, not believing a word that came out of Teddy's mouth.

Teddy sighed, bringing a hand up to rub at her temple. Arizona knew this was exhausting, and she felt bad for taking it out on her best friend, but she really didn't know what to do. Maybe she should lock herself in her room for the rest of her life, that sounded like a good idea.

"Say yes," Teddy finally let out. "Say yes and go on the date and see how it goes. One date doesn't mean anything."

Arizona thought over the idea. Teddy was right. One date didn't mean anything. Maybe she would actually really like Amber. Even though that thought seemed absurd, especially with Callie around, it was worth a shot. Maybe a little distraction would help her in the long run. She really didn't want to mess up her friendship with Callie, and she didn't know how Callie would react with finding out that a gay girl had a crush on her.

Having made up her mind, Arizona pulled out her phone and shot a quick Facebook message to Amber.

 _Is tonight good? -Arizona_

* * *

Callie was crying.

Hard.

The last time she had cried this hard was when she had fallen over and cut her head open, and that was over physical pain, not emotional pain. She wasn't aware of a time when she had cried this hard over something that wasn't physical pain. She wasn't sure she ever had. She had never lost an important family member, and had never had a pet to grieve over. She hadn't felt all that sad when Aria had left to go to college, and she was more pissed than sad when she had left Miami.

No, this was definitely new.

Arizona Robbins had a date.

She had caught up with Arizona during lunch, and had asked her if she wanted to come over that night for dinner. She had joked about how they could make the dinner again, with Callie doing most of it and Arizona just occasionally stirring when required. She had also suggested a Friends marathon, knowing that they both loved the show. But Arizona's face had quickly filled with what looked like pity, and she bit down awkwardly on her lower lip.

"I'm sorry Callie," she had said, wringing her hands. "I actually have plans tonight."

"Oh," Callie had replied, unaffected. "Special family dinner or something?"

"No, I'm actually going to the movies with this girl Amber," Arizona answered, wincing as the words left her mouth. "I'm really sorry. Maybe tomorrow?"

The words had hit Callie like a tonne of bricks. She quickly threw on a fake smile, telling Arizona that it was fine of course, and had managed to keep her resolve until the end of the day, where tears finally hit her as she pulled up on the driveway of her house. She was an idiot. Of course other girls found Arizona hot and wanted to date her. She shouldn't have been surprised. Was she really thinking that Arizona would stay single forever and just be her friend? Was she really that niave?

In all honestly, Callie wasn't sure why she was crying.

Was it because Arizona couldn't hang out with her? Or was it because she was upset that Arizona was on a date with someone that wasn't her? The idea of Arizona being with someone, kissing someone, holding someone, had pushed Callie into a new spotlight that she had been edging towards since the start of senior year, but one she wasn't sure she was ready to face yet. The idea of Arizona being with someone made her suddenly confront the weird feelings she had been trying to make sense of for weeks.

It was more than just attraction. It was more than just a case of finding Arizona hot and sexy and beautiful.

She liked Arizona. She liked another girl.

The thought made her cry harder. Callie couldn't make sense of what was going on inside her head. The answer was so clear before her but she was so afraid. She wasn't sure how she felt about it, let alone what other people would think. What her parents would think. With the final thought, she slammed her head against the steering wheel of her car, struggling to breathe against the salty tears.

She needed to talk to someone. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe this was just a weird feeling that would pass soon, and she would be laughing it off in twenty or thirty years. Maybe she didn't like Arizona like that, but just craved her company and didn't want to lose her friend. Maybe it was like that.

Knowing that she was never going to get answers on her own, Callie managed to locate her phone in the side door compartment, and quickly dial Addison's phone number.

"Hello my sweet best friend, how may I be of assistance?"

Upon hearing Addi's voice, Callie felt a fresh wave of tears hit her, and she struggled to choke back her sob.

"Callie?" Addison asked, her voice laced with concern, clearly hearing the sobbing girl. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

"Have you ever found another girl attractive?" Callie managed to choke out, her free hand rubbing her bloodshot eyes.

"Of course I've found other girls attractive," Addison answered immediately. "Everybody has. What's this about? Has someone said anything about how you look or-"

"No," Callie interrupted, sniffing. "Like, I mean being attracted properly to a girl. In the way you've been attracted to guys before. Like, you want to hold her and spend time with h-her and her smile lights up your day a-and you want to, y-you want to-"

Callie was unable to say the last few words, her voice getting lost in her throat. She couldn't say them, but she knew what she felt. She knew it. That she wanted to kiss her.

"Callie," Addison whispered into the phone, her voice filled with love and understanding. "Are you saying you like a girl?Because that's okay. Liking a girl and wanting to be with a girl is okay. There's nothing wrong with that, you hear me? Nothing."

"I think so. I really think I do. But maybe I'm wrong," Callie offered, and she turned to stare out her car door window. "M-maybe I'm wrong and it'll pass and it's nothing and-"

"Tell me about her." Addison cut Callie off, causing Callie to stop. "Just.. tell me about her."

"She's beautiful, and smart," Callie started, drumming her fingers of her left hand into her steering wheel. "She's the sort of person who can make you smile just by walking into a room. I don't know how she does it. She just does. It's like her smile is magic or something. I don't know. S-she knows near enough everything about biology, like me. We can sit there for hours and talk about the body, and she's not doing it to humor me, she actually is interested, y'know? And she stands up for me, and makes me feel like I'm important. Or special. And she does this thing where she scrunches up her face when she's concentrating, and I swear to God, it's the cutest thing I've ever seen. And she tries so hard to stay strong and tough for everyone else, no matter how sad she feels, and she pushes everyone away except me. It makes me feel like I'm good at something, the fact that she opens up a bit with me. She play-fights with me, and makes life seem so much easier, and when I'm with her, I don't feel like the world is turning. It's like I'm just there, in that moment with her, and I could stay there forever. I want to stay there forever."

"It doesn't sound like you're wrong, Cal," Addison replied, once Callie had stopped rambling. "It sounds like you're very very right."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Callie murmured quietly. "I didn't want to be right."

"After speaking about her like that, I think you did want to be."

"I don't know what to do, Addison," Callie told her, a few tears escaping. "I'm scared."

"It's okay to be scared. Being scared makes you human. Talk to her about it."

"She went on a date today with another girl, that's what made it hit me like this."

"She likes chicks too? See! You're already half way there."

Callie laughed a little at Addison's comment, but still felt the weight settle heavily on her shoulders. She didn't know what to do. She needed time to think, and understand, and be able to accept it somehow. To be able to accept that she liked Arizona. In a way, accepting it was good, even though it was frightening. But what did it mean. Was she gay? She had boyfriends in the past, and had liked them, so what did it mean? What did everything mean? She wasn't sure.

"It'll be okay," Addison added, after silence settled over them. "You're still you. And I love you. It'll be okay. I promise."

Callie nodded, even though Addison couldn't see her.

* * *

Callie was avoiding her, and Arizona didn't know why.

On Tuesday, she didn't have biology, meaning that she wouldn't see Callie in class. Usually though, she would talk to Callie in the hallways between lessons, or meet to study in free periods, or speak at lunch. But everytime she had seen the brunette, Callie had quickly put her head down and walked in the other direction.

She wasn't answering her texts either. Arizona had sent her three, one asking if she wanted to study, another asking if her offer for dinner that night was still open, and then another asking if everything was okay. But none had been replied to.

On Wednesday, they had biology together period two, so Arizona had figured this was the perfect time that Callie would have to talk to her. However, it appeared that the odds were _not_ in her favor, as Bailey had sprung a surprise test on them, rendering everybody to complete silence. Callie didn't say hello as she sat down in her seat, and Arizona found herself distracted at the lack of communication. She had then planned on talking to Callie after class, but while she packed away, the other girl had sped off out of the classroom without another word.

It was getting annoying. She didn't understand what on earth was going on, and what she had done to receive this kind of silent treatment. The last time they had spoken they had seemed fine, Arizona politely declining her invitation to go round to her house as she had plans with Amber. Of course she would have much rather spent the evening with Callie. The date with Amber had been boring, the other girl talking about some reality show she watched most of the time on the way to the movies, and had then proceeded to pick the worst movie ever. Plus she was a loud eater, and Arizona realised she had never fully appreciated the fact that Callie made hardly any sound while eating. Amber seemed to have a bit of a lame time too, and it was clear that there wasn't going to be a second date.

Maybe Callie was upset because she couldn't spend the evening with her?

The thought made her angry. It wasn't as though Callie could expect her to be free everytime she wanted to hang out, it wasn't fair on her. Arizona had a life. She was allowed to go out, even if it was with the most boring and annoying person on the planet.

At the end of the school day, Arizona was even angrier when she saw that it was raining. Hating herself for choosing a jacket without a hood, she ran out into the car parking lot. Most people had already left, as Arizona had stayed behind in the library for about an hour after school had ended.

Running towards her truck, Arizona stumbled when she noticed Callie also running over to her own car. Clenching her fists and narrowing her eyes, Arizona had come to the realisation that she had had enough, and the avoidance game wasn't going to be played anymore.

"Callie!" She shouted angrily, hating the way the shortened version of Callie's name sounded on her tongue. Calliope was much better, but she knew if she said that, her resolve would be lost.

Callie jumped, twisted round, her eyes widening.

The rain poured heavily down on them both, making their hair plaster to their heads. Arizona found that a soaking wet Callie Torres was an adorable Callie Torres, but she had to keep her cool and not give in.

Callie turned to go back to her car, causing Arizona to lurch forward.

"No! You don't get to walk away again! You've been avoiding me, you owe me an explanation."

Callie swallowed thickly as Arizona stepped closer to her.

"Arizona," she said quietly, her gaze dropping to the floor.

"No! You are going to tell me right now why-"

"Arizona," Callie tried again, taking a step back.

"You don't get to avoid me and not tell me why! Is it because I had plans? Really? Well I'm sorry that I had a place to be, but that's no reason for you to be mad at me! What the hell?"

"Arizona," Callie mumbled weakly.

"No!" Arizona screamed over the rain. Her jeans were soaked through, but she couldn't bring herself to care. "I am your friend, and you owe me an explanation. You don't get to be mad at me for having plans, that's not your right! But I have every right to be mad at you for avoiding me and not letting me know what I've done wrong! That's not fair Callie, you can't do that, you can't decided when you want me around and when you don't, it's not fair, I-"

"Arizona!" Callie said again, this time a lot louder, her brown eyes filled with a thick emotion that Arizona hadn't seen in her eyes before.

"What?!" She snapped.

For a moment, Callie didn't do anything. The burning in her eyes grew stronger, and Arizona was sure she was going to turn around and get in her car and speed off. She was certain that Callie was going to walk away, and that would be the end of that. But instead, Callie did something she hadn't seen coming in a million years.

Callie stepped forward into Arizona's personal space, her hands coming up to the back of Arizona's neck. She pulled Arizona's head towards hers before Arizona knew what was happening, and then she plump lips crash into hers.

The kiss was hard and raw, Callie pouring every single emotion she felt into the kiss. It was like someone had set a fire in the middle of Arizona's stomach, igniting flames that were burning her insides. Callie's hands tangled themselves in her hair, sliding through her wet blonde locks, keeping her in place. Her lips were wet from the rain, but tasted undeniably like strawberry, and it wasn't until she felt Callie begin to pull back that she realised she hadn't reciprocated the kiss.

Coming into her own, Arizona moving her own hands up to Callie's slippery cheeks, pulling her lips back to her own. She kissed her back, tilting her head to the side a little to gain a better angle. Arizona's lips dropped to Callie's full bottom lip, taking in-between her own, and sucking on it lightly, earning a moan from the brunette. Her hands slid back to Callie's wet hair, the rain continuing to pour heavily on top of them, but neither one of them cared. Kissing Callie was like heaven. It was like coming up for fresh air after being held down underwater for so long. It gave her the feeling you got when you were a child on a Christmas morning, providing her with the same amount of excitement and anticipation. Unable to hold back any longer, Arizona gently slid her tongue along Callie's bottom lip, whimpering as she complied and opened her mouth. Her tongue immediately sought out Callie's, beginning to dance in the other girl's mouth. It was passionate, and hard, and not the loving, soft kiss she had dreamed of. Not that was she was complaining. If she had thought hugging Callie made her feel alive, kissing her made her feel as though she was floating.

They parted eventually, both needing air, but pressed their foreheads against each other's. Arizona kept her eyes closed for a moment, wanting to save the feeling and etch it permanently into her head. She felt Callie's hands stroke her drenched hair, and she sighed in appreciation.

When she did open her eyes, Arizona found herself staring into Callie's brown eyes. They each stood there, standing in the rain, holding onto each other as if for dear life, and Arizona never wanted to let go.

The moment ended too soon when Callie's phone began to ring. Awkwardly de-tangling herself from Arizona, Callie quickly turned as she answered it. The call only lasted a few seconds, if that, and then Callie was turning back around to her.

"I-I have to go, Dad's home," Callie said, her eyes landing on anywhere except Arizona.

"Okay," Arizona sighed, knowing that was going to happen. "We'll catch colds if we're out here for much longer."

"Yeah," Callie awkwardly smiled. The other girl seemed so vulnerable, and unsure of herself. Arizona wasn't sure if she was doing the right thing or not, but she stepped forward and placed a soft kiss on Callie's bruised lips. Even after only kissing her the once she found herself addicted, and just had to do it again, unsure if she would ever get another chance. Callie seemed to a smile a bit more genuinely after that, and Arizona bit her lip, shoving her hands into her pockets.

The rain grew lighter, and it was another ten minutes before either girl made to leave. Arizona didn't want to walk away from the moment, she wanted to live in it forever. To stay in that moment of time.

And for the first time, in the aftermath of the kiss, Arizona understood what it meant for someone to truly take your breath away. Both physically and mentally.

* * *

 _A:N: So yay for Callie somewhat accepting her feelings and yay for first kiss :) Sorry if any of you actually wanted to read about the date Arizona had with Amber, but I didn't really want to write that /: Next up: Callie and Arizona spend time exploring now they've gone past the particular boundary in their friendship. Plus it's Thanksgiving, and Callie's family comes to stay._


	11. Chapter 11

_A:N: Happy New Year everyone! Sorry this update took slightly longer than usual, but I was busy and I had some personal issues. Anyway, I hope you enjoy :)_

* * *

 _Chapter 11_

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I said no."

Callie walked around Cristina, pulling open her car door, and slipping into the leather seat. She threw her backpack onto the seat beside her, and turned her head to the side, seeing Cristina glaring at her through her window. Huffing, she wound down the window, and arched an eyebrow in question.

"Why are you so rude?" Cristina asked, narrowing her eyes.

"You're the one demanding I try out. You're the rude one," Callie retorted simply.

Cristina had been bugging Callie the whole day, trying desperately to convince her to try out for the basketball team after Thanksgiving break. Cristina and Meredith, she had learned, played for the girls Basketball team every year, and were keen for Callie to join in. Apparently, 'but I haven't played since I was 12' wasn't a good enough excuse. Meredith had given up quite early on, but Cristina hadn't, so Callie had taken to just saying 'no' every time she asked.

"You look like you'll be good. We need better players. Try out."

"Bye Cristina," Callie muttered, giving her a large fake smile. She put the window up again, ignoring the middle finger Cristina had waved in her face before walking off towards Owen's car.

Starting up her ignition, Callie reversed out of the parking space. She bit her lip as she drove towards the exit, falling in place behind someone else's car. While she waited for the person in front of her to pull out, she looked around her. Her eyes connected with the blue ones that had been the reason for her sleepless night before. Arizona was leaning against her truck, watching her, and when she saw she had been caught, she blushed a little and smiled. Callie smiled back, her heart pounding in her chest. She could still feel Arizona's soft lips pressed against her own, her pale fingers sliding through her hair. It had felt magical, truly it had, but it had also caused a large freak out when she had arrived home. She had been scared. Scared about her new found revelation, because after kissing Arizona only once (well twice including the quick peck Arizona had given her after), she knew she wanted to do it again. She was scared of how to act around Arizona the next day, what to say or what to do. Callie had felt her stomach in her throat as she walked to biology that morning, knowing that there was no way they would have a quiz for the second day in a row. However, Arizona had greeted her with a smile, and had treated her entirely normally. Like nothing had ever happened. She knew that it was for her benefit, Arizona clearly giving her an out, but a small part of her had been scared that Arizona hadn't felt what she had. Or that it was only a onetime thing.

Finally being able to pull out, she turned in the direction of her house, driving away from the school. It wasn't until she had turned onto her road that she realised that she actually didn't want the out Arizona had provided her with. She didn't want to take it. Yes, she was scared, but the thought of ignoring what had happened was even scarier. Turning around before she could think twice about it and change her mind, Callie started the journey towards Arizona's house. She knew that both of Arizona's parents were working, figuring that was quite lucky as she really needed to have this conversation with Arizona in private.

When she arrived at Arizona's house, she was relieved to see Arizona's truck on the driveway. She had been worried incase Arizona had plans after school, but luckily that didn't seem to be the case. Taking a breath, she climbed out of her car and walked up towards the door. Raising her hand, she knocked.

A couple of seconds later, the door swung open, revealing Arizona standing on the other side. The blonde's body was covered in a pair of jeans, and her signature 49ers sweatshirt, her hair hanging down around her face. Callie couldn't help but smile at the sight of the smaller girl in front of her. She truly looked adorable, even if that wasn't what she was going for.

"Hey," Arizona said warmly, stepping to the side and allowing Callie to enter. "Want to go over what we did today or something?"

Callie stared at Arizona's back as she shut the door behind them, and didn't move. When Arizona turned, she nearly walked straight into Callie, unaware that Callie hadn't ventured further into the house.

Callie swallowed, and stepped backwards a bit, allowing them both to be more comfortable.

"Are you okay?" Arizona asked, her voice traced with concern when Callie didn't reply.

"I haven't been able to sleep, it's constantly on my mind," Callie blurted out, and then sighed, running a hand through her hair. She hadn't meant to just come out with it like _that._. "I mean, it was before, but even more so after yesterday and.." She trailed off awkwardly, looking at Arizona.

"What is?" Arizona questioned, her fingers playing with the strings of her sweatshirt. She was fidgeting a little, and Callie knew that Arizona was yet again giving her an out. She knew she could say something like the biology final that was coming up next month, or something like that, and easily escape. Part of her wanted to, but the bigger part of her wanted to face it head on. Shaking her head, she continued to stare at Arizona.

"I've never felt this way before," Callie murmured, after a moment of debating the situation in her head. Arizona looked at her thoughtfully, her blue eyes soft. "Not about anyone, let alone another girl. I don't really understand everything yet. I don't understand, but I'm trying to. I'm trying to focus on what I feel rather than what I think, I'm trying to make sense of it. I'm trying to make sense of what I feel for you, or about you. I'm trying."

"Callie," Arizona interrupted tenderly, stepping forward into Callie's space, taking initiative. "It's okay. We don't need to talk about it. If you want to pretend it didn't happen, that's okay. I'm okay with that. If you need time, that's okay too. We don't need to do this right now."

"I want to," Callie whispered. She felt vulnerable, incredibly so. But she didn't _want_ to wait or leave the conversation. She didn't want to go months feeling scared and alone in how she felt. She wanted to come to terms with it, she wanted to move forward. But she couldn't do that if they didn't talk about it. Ignoring it was the easier, and maybe safer option, but it wasn't necessarily the right one. "I can't stop thinking about you. I can't stop thinking about this. And I'm not sure if I like kissing girls, but I do know one thing, and that is that I like kissing you."

"You do?"

"I do," Callie replied, searching the eyes before her. "You're standing here in front of me right now, and all I want to do is pull you towards me and kiss you."

"Then do it," Arizona said, her voice calm, but her eyes giving away the nervousness she felt. Callie felt a rush knowing that she made Arizona as nervous as Arizona made her, the thought somehow comforting her, especially as Arizona often seemed cool and collected.

Making up her mind, Callie nodded, her heart racing at the thought of kissing her lab partner again. She stepped forward, closing the gap between their bodies. Callie raised her hand, and ran her fingers through Arizona's hair, tucking the soft curls behind her ear. She felt Arizona lean into her touch, a smile playing on her lips, and she ran her fingers down Arizona's cheek and then along her jawline. Her thumb lightly ran across Arizona's full bottom lip, and she heard Arizona's breath hitch at the soft touch. Finally, her hand settled on Arizona's cheek again, her other hand coming up to grasp Arizona's waist, and she pulled the blonde into her body. Their lips were a fraction apart, and she could feel the hot breath coming off of Arizona's lips, something she hadn't felt the last time they had kissed. Her body rose in goosebumps.

Unable to wait any longer, she inched her head forward, and captured Arizona's lips in a soft and tender kiss. It was a lot softer than the kiss they had shared the day before, their lips carressing each other's in small and gentle pecks, simply getting to know the feel of each other's lips. Callie felt the butterflies in her stomach soar, and she pressed further in Arizona's body, causing the kiss to deepen slightly. She heard the small moan that left Arizona's mouth, her body shaking at the thought that she was the one to make the other girl make that sound. Arizona's hands came up to caress Callie's cheeks, and the feeling made Callie sigh. She fisted a bunch of Arizona's sweatshirt in her hand, holding the other girls body close to hers. A kiss had never felt so right before, and while the thought was terrifying, it was terrifying in the way that Callie never wanted to go another day without feeling Arizona's lips on hers. She wanted to kiss her _all_ the time.

Eventually they pulled away, but stayed in each other's space, their foreheads pressing against each other's. Callie opened her eyes to see that Arizona's eyes remained closed, and that she was breathing deeply. The sight of a breathless Arizona made Callie's knees weak, especially since it was her kissing that had made her lose her breath, and she leaned in and pecked her lips one more time. When she pulled away, she saw that Arizona had opened her eyes again, and that they were a shade darker than normal.

"That was.." Arizona spoke, her voice hoarse from the lack of breath. Her fingers brushed against Callie's neck lightly, and Callie had to fight against groaning.

"Wow," Callie concluded, and Arizona softly giggled in response, bowing her head. Using her hand on Arizona's cheek to lift Arizona's head up, she smiled. "You're beautiful."

"You are too," Arizona said, blushing, Callie feeling the heat from her cheeks in her hands. "Was this why you were avoiding me?"

"Yeah," Callie replied awkwardly, blushing herself. "You had a date, and it scared me into confronting how I feel, and I didn't know what to do."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Callie's eyes widened. Arizona had gone out on a date just a few days before. With someone else. How could she have been so stupid? How could she have acted like that? How had she forgotten what had made her confront her feelings?Arizona must have noticed the panic occuring in Callie's eyes as she leaned forward and kissed Callie again, aiming to ease away the worry. Once she was sure that the worry had shifted, Arizona drew back, softly nuzzling her nose with Callie's, before stepping away slightly so she could see Callie clearly.

"The date sucked," Arizona told her honestly, hoping that the truth was shining through in her words. "She was boring, and a loud eater, and I spent the whole time thinking about you. Comparing her to you. Even though I didn't mean to, it just happened."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're not the only one who has been having a lot of sleepless nights."

"I-I don't," Callie bit her lip, shaking her head as she stuttered. The thought of Arizona feeling in a way that was similar to her was mindblowing, and made her feel utterly _amazing_ but it also scared the crap out of her. She wasn't ready to jump headfirst into a relationship with Arizona, or tell the whole world how she felt. She liked being around her, and she liked kissing her, but at that moment in time, that was all she knew. She didn't know how she would feel down the line. She didn't know what was going to happen weeks into the future. Awkwardly, Callie swallowed. "I don't know if I can just jump into something, I don't-"

"That's okay. We can just be how we've always been," Arizona interrupted, but not harshly. The tone of her voice was tender and comforting.

"Just with some kissing?"

"Just with some kissing."

"I like the sound of that."

"I thought you might."

Callie laughed, feeling at ease again. It was strange how jumpy and fidgety she felt. It was strange how she felt so frightened and unsure yet so at ease and sure at the same time. She leaned forward into Arizona once more, sighing, and Arizona dropped her arms, choosing instead to wrap them around Callie's waist. Callie felt Arizona nuzzle into her neck, and her own head dropped onto Arizona's shoulder. She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent that was so uniquely Arizona. She wasn't sure how long they stood there, both wrapped up in each other's arms so tightly, but for Callie, it was nowhere near long enough. She wanted to stay there for hours, the feel of Arizona's arms around her bringing her so much comfort. She wasn't sure of much. She wasn't sure whether liking Arizona like this meant she was gay. She wasn't sure whether it was something she would feel for a long time. She wasn't sure if she was okay with everything. But one thing she was sure about was that Arizona made her feel safe. Arizona was like a safety-blanket. Arizona felt good.

* * *

Even though it was nearing a year since Tim had been deployed, Arizona was still getting used to seeing her brother fit in army gear. It suited him well, very well, and he looked like that was what he was meant to be wearing, but it was still quite weird. Another thing that was weird was that Tim's hair was a lot shorter. Albeit, his hair had never been long.; Barbara had a heart attack if it ever got too bad. But it had always been a bit longer on top, instead of short and shaved like the sides. The short haircut suited Tim, it truly did, but it made him look older than he was. It was scary, watching her older brother grow up so far away.

Arizona, along with her parents, was engaging in their weekly skype call with Tim. Tim's access to the internet was limited, so his calls were often at random times. A few times Arizona had been alone when Tim called, her parents working, and other times she had been out. If that was ever the case, Barbara would usually text her that he was on skype, and if she could, she would go home as fast as possible. It was lucky that this time they were all together, and could all talk to Tim, especially since it was two days before Thanksgiving. Her parents were set to leave soon, to go to some fancy dinner with a fellow marine that Daniel worked with, so Tim's call had been extremely lucky. Arizona wasn't going out with her parents, and was hoping, which she knew sounded bad, that her parents would leave while Tim was still online. She missed Tim as her confidant, as her best friend, and she could hardly talk to him about things she wanted to in-front of her parents.

"How's school going, Phoenix?" Tim asked, ending the conversation he was having with Barbara about the cut he had on his arm. Barbara huffed at her son, folding her arms, but unable to be truly mad at him.

Arizona rolled her eyes at the nickname their friend Nick had given her, which Tim had taken to using.

"Oh come on, don't look at me like that," Tim laughed, his dimples popping on her laptop screen. His face was a little fuzzy, but she could still make out the Robbins' family dimples. Arizona and Tim both had the charm, and made an impression everywhere they had moved to, their blonde hair, blue eyes and dimples leaving a mark on almost everyone.

"It's fine," she said, after a moment, giving in. Like her mother, she couldn't stay mad at Tim when he was across the world. "Just the normal."

"How's Teddy?"

"She's fine," Arizona shrugged. Teddy had been present for a few of Tim's calls, and had gotten to know her friends brother. "She's dating a boy called Henry. Well, _half_ dating. I don't really know."

It was true. Teddy, as far as Arizona was aware, had been on a few dates with Henry since homecoming. But, Teddy had also told her that they weren't official. They were simply just enjoying each other's company. Arizona liked Henry, but she knew that Teddy was still, in a way, getting over Owen. Arizona was proud of her for not jumping quickly into a relationship while she potentially still had feelings for somebody else.

"And what about you, Zona? Any special lady catch your eye yet?" Tim shot her a wink, as he always did when he mentioned her love life.

Before she could open her mouth to respond, Barbara beat her to it.

"Of course not, Timothy. Unless there's somebody whom I don't know about."

"Seriously?" Arizona grumbled, leaning back into the couch. "Isn't there something more fun to discuss than my non-existent relationship?"

"I'm just saying honey, you can talk to me about anyone," Barbara said softly, patting Arizona's leg. "I'm completely fine with it."

"I know," Arizona sighed, because she did. "And when there's something to tell, I will tell you. I've told you before."

Her parents were very supportive and accepting with her sexuality, something that had shocked her, especially with her Father believing in country in the way he did. That didn't mean she was completely comfortable talking about girls with her Mother. The only girl she had talked about was Joanne, and that was because Joanne had been her girlfriend. She hadn't had a girlfriend since, and she knew that her parents would not be okay with then meaningless things she had been involved in.

"Barb, we should go," Daniel said gruffly, leaning foward to gain his wife's attention. Barbara clearly didn't want to go, and would have much rather stayed at home to talk to her son more, but she knew that being a Marine, Daniel did not tolerate being late. His actual motto was being 10 minutes early was being on time.

"It's okay, Mom," Tim said cheerfully, seeing the look of sadness on his Mom's face. "I'm probably going to have to go in a few minutes anyway."

"Okay, well take care of yourself Tim. And have a good Thanksgiving. I wish you were here."

"I do too," Tim replied, his tone soft. "But I'll be home for Christmas. Only a few more weeks."

It was true. Tim was coming home a week before Christmas, and going back on the second of January. Arizona had flipped learning that her brother was coming home for the holidays, having told herself over and over that the chances of that happening was very slim. She couldn't wait to see Tim in person, and wrap her arms around him in a large hug, feeling his heart beat. It had felt so weird being separated from her brother, and she couldn't wait for the reunion.

"Bye son," Daniel murmured, his attention turned to Tim. "We'll see you soon."

After a few more goodbye exchanges, both of the older Robbins had left the house, leaving Arizona alone _finally_ with her brother. She had been craving a chance to talk with him after what had been going on with Callie, and now it seemed, she had her chance.

"So out with it then," Tim told her, after a few moments of silence, crossing his arms and shifting closer.

"Hmm?" Arizona replied, feigning ignorance. Tim just raised both of his eyebrows, and tilted his head to the side, his expression clearly saying, _'really?'_

"Fine," Arizona complied, her head falling into her hands. "I like someone."

"What was that?" Tim teased, his blue eyes filled with mischief. "Did my slutty sister just admit to liking someone?"

"Shut it, Tim!" Arizona snapped, not in the mood. She really needed advice, especially since she had no one else to talk to. She hadn't felt like she could confide in Teddy. It wasn't that she didn't trust her friend, it was more of the fact that she didn't want to make that decision for Callie. She didn't want to tell somebody who Callie knew about what was going on, knowing that it wasn't fair to her. Teddy wouldn't exactly be able to hide the fact that she knew what was going on when around Callie, seeing as she could barely manage to keep in the fact that she knew Arizona liked Callie. But she did need advice, and Tim, who was far away and did not know Callie, was the perfect person to talk to about it.

"I'm sorry. So you like someone. What's going on? What's she like? Who is she?"

"She's my friend. A good friend," Arizona started, choosing not to share Callie's name. Even though Tim didn't know Callie, she had spoken about her before and didn't want him to make the link. "I've liked her for a while. I think. She's amazing and kind and beautiful and she's straight. Well, I thought she was."

"What do you mean?" Tim questioned, his brow crinkling in confusion.

"She kissed me," Arizona explained, blushing. "And kind of told me that she likes me. But she's figuring it all out and she just wants to be friends with kissing, and I'm okay with that because it's hard figuring yourself out, and I really like kissing her. But I really like her. And I'm scared she's going to realise this isn't what she wants."

Tim sat silent for a moment, a thoughtful expression on his face. It was amazing how Tim could switch from being the teasing brother who embarassed her, to the caring brother who really would do anything to help her.

"Is this fairly new?" He asked, after a minute.

"Yeah," Arizona replied, nodding. "Less than a week."

"How many times have you kissed?"

Arizona felt her cheeks burn as she thought about it. She didn't know a number. They had kissed quite a bit when Callie had came over to Arizona's house, and then had shared a few other kisses during the next day. Callie was usually the one to initiate any form of contact, Arizona not wanting to put any pressure on her.

"Uh, I don't know. A few times."

Tim smirked at her knowingly, before speaking. "If you like her and think she's worth it, then try. Like you said, it's hard figuring yourself out. She's probably scared right now, really scared, but that's because she feels something. She feels something for you, Zona. You know how you feel about her. Try it."

"But I like her a lot. More than Joanne. And I'm scared, Tim. This is a new experience for her, but it's also new for me. I've never felt like _this."_

"If you like her that much, then I say try. You'll regret it if you don't."

"I know," Arizona sighed, knowing her brother was right. "I was always going to try. I just wanted to tell someone about it. And there's no way I could talk to Mom."

"That's clear," Tim laughed, knowing that Arizona was right. "So does your girl have good boobs?"

Arizona rolled her eyes, and threw a pillow at the screen. Boys will be boys.

* * *

Callie felt as thought her head was going to explode. For the first time since they had moved to Baltimore, their house was somewhat _half_ full. It was Thanksgiving, and Aria was home from College for a few days. Four pairs of Aunts and Uncles, and what felt like hundreds of cousins, had also joined them. Callie had retreated to her bedroom after finishing her thanksgiving meal, knowing that with the amount of people present, her presence would hardly be missed. Unfortunately, her plan had failed, as less than ten minutes after she had entered her room, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Come in," Callie called, her face buried in her pillow.

"Cal! Cal!" A giggly voice yelled, and before Callie could raise her head, she felt a small body land on top of her own.

"Ooof!" Callie exclaimed, not expecting the sudden weight on her back.

Managing to sit up, Callie pulled the smaller body into her lap, her eyes finding those of her youngest cousin, Eduardo. The young boy was only four, and had been enamored with Callie since birth, always excited to spend time with her. His Mother, Callie's aunt Maria, was her Mother's younger sister, and was Callie's favourite aunt. They had always gotten on with each other more so than Callie did with her other aunts. Maria also liked Callie more than Aria, something that Maria had made her promise to keep a secret. That meant a lot to Callie, as most people liked Aria more, as Aria was much more loud and confident, a typical Torres.

Eddie was very cute, with wide, brown eyes and a head full of curly dark hair. His caramel skin matched her own, and he was grinning toothily up at her.

"Hey Eddie," Callie smiled, running a hand through his dark locks, using the nickname she had christened him with. "What are you doing up here?"

"Mama said you could take me to the park!" Eddie replied, clapping his hands together, looking at Callie hopefully. It was clear that Callie was the young boys favourite person, as he had many other cousins he could have ran to, but he chose her instead. Her other younger cousins didn't like her much, choosing instead to play together or with Aria, but Eddie and Callie had always had a special relationship, despite only seeing each other a few times a year.

"Wanna go on the swings, huh?" Callie asked, knowing that Eddie had always loved the swings, ever since he was a toddler.

"Yes! And the slide, but only if you stand at the bottom."

"Of course I will," Callie agreed, knowing full well that her time to herself to have a break was now over. Not that she actually found herself minding. She loved the little boy, and was glad at the thought of spending some time with him. While she pulled on a pair of shoes, and then decided on wearing her Miami Dolphin's sweatshirt, an idea occurred to her. She hadn't seen Arizona in a few days, and while she knew it was a long-shot seeing as it was thanksgiving, she shot her a quick text asking if she would like to meet her at the park soon. She was sure that Eddie would love Arizona as well, and knew that Arizona would love him too. What wasn't to love?

Once Callie was dressed warmly, she went downstairs, Eddie's small hand in her own. Maria was standing at the bottom of the staircase, holding Eddie's coat, and his sneakers. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Eddie sat down on the last step, his Mother aiding him in putting his shoes on.

"Thank you for taking him out, Calliope," Maria said softly, her brown eyes matching those of her son's. "He loves spending time with you."

"It's my pleasure," Callie said easily, smiling down at the young boy. "Ready to go, little man?"

On the way to the park, Eddie told Callie all about the dinosaur book his Father had bought him a week previously, skipping along next to Callie while holding tightly onto her hand. Callie engaged easily in conversation with him, loving the way his eyes sparkled as he talked about things he loved so much. As they rounded the corner to the park, Callie felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, and using her free hand, she pulled out her phone to see a text from Arizona.

 _I'll be there in five- Arizona x_

Grinning at the thought of seeing her blonde lab partner, Callie was sure that her eyes were shining in the same way Eddie's were, and there was nothing she could do about it. Similar to how dinosaurs made Eddie incredibly happy, Arizona made Callie incredibly happy, no questions asked.

"Hurry up! Hurry!" Eddie shouted, grabbing at Callie's hand in an attempt to reach the park quicker, his eyes already fixed on the swings. The park was fairly empty seeing as it was thanksgiving, something Callie was happy about. She didn't want to witness a breakdown if Eddie couldn't use the swings.

Once they reached the park, Eddie let go of Callie's hand and started racing towards the swing.

"Hey, mister!" Callie shouted, running after him. When she caught up, she picked him up in her arms and started swinging him around fast, the little boy holding onto her for dear life. The sound of Eddie's laughter filled her ears, the sound like music to her ears. There was something about hearing a child laugh that had always made Callie feel happy. She had known from a young age that she loved children, and definitely wanted her own, and spending time with Eddie only made her more sure of the fact that she did want her own. At least she was sure of _one_ thing. The thought made her join in with Eddie's laughter.

"Faster! Faster!" Eddie screamed loudly, his fists banging against Callie's back, but not causing any harm.

"What about the swings?" Callie shouted in response, gaining speed.

"Faster!" Eddie repeated, ignoring the question. Apparently Callie was more fun than the swings.

When she started to feel slightly dizzy, Callie slowed to a stop, not wanting to throw up, or cause Eddie to throw up. No matter how much Maria loved her, that would _not_ sit well.

Both of them continued to laugh, Callie shifting Eddie's body to her hip. He clutched at her, his head leaning against her shoulder, giggles carelessly escaping his mouth. After they both managed to settle down, and catch their breath again, Callie placed a tender kiss on the boys cheek. She then proceeded to blow a raspberry on the place she had just kissed, remembering how the act made Eddie squeal.

As expected, Eddie squealed, and the sound made Callie's insides melt. She was wrong. This was much better than spending time alone in her room. Finally looking away from Eddie for the first time in a while, Callie's eyes were immediately drawn to the sight of Arizona standing a few feet away, a large smile on her face. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a black coat, her hands deep in her pockets, and her hair was up in a messy ponytail, a hairstyle Callie knew very well. Judging by the smile, Callie was sure that Arizona had seen her playing about with Eddie.

"Hey," Callie called out, placing Eddie on the ground, and taking a hold of his hand. She stepped towards Arizona, her smile growing. "Eddie, this is my friend, Arizona. Arizona, this here is my favourite cousin in the whole wide world, Eduardo. But you can call him Eddie."

"Hello Eddie," Arizona said to the little boy, bending her knees so she could come face to face with him.

"Hi!" Eddie greeted, returning the smile Arizona was giving him. "Cal brought me here so we could use the swings!"

"She did huh?" Arizona asked, her eyes flicking to Callie for a moment, before returning to Eddie. "Want me to push you while Callie catches her breath? She's getting old so she's going to need a minute."

"Hey!" Callie said, her eyebrows disappearing into her hair. "You're older than me!"

But Arizona was already walking with Eddie over to the swings, the little boy holding onto her hand, and telling her the story about his dinosaur book, the same story he had told Callie minutes before. The blonde looked over her shoulder, and grinned at Callie, the smile making Callie's knees weak. She couldn't get enough of Arizona's smiles. She was so beautiful, Callie could barely understand.

The two spent the next hour racing around the playground with Eddie, pushing him on swings and waiting at the bottom of the slide as he slid down. He seemed to love Arizona as much as he loved Callie, which would have made Callie jealous if she wasn't also addicted to Arizona's company.

"He's adorable," Arizona said quietly, her eyes fixed on Eddie as he swung on the swings on his own. They had attempted to teach him how to do it himself, and he had nearly gotten the hang of it, trying his hardest to mimic the actions Arizona had showed him.

"He really is," Callie agreed, nodding her head.

"You're pretty adorable too," Arizona added as an afterthought, with a slight shrug. "You even manage to pull of a Dolphin's sweatshirt."

Callie rolled her eyes at the football comment, the two both remembering the first time they had discussed football. She remembered feeling Arizona's skin under her finger tips, the feeling making her heart race. Just thinking about it made her heart speed up. Arizona giggled, leaning into Callie's side, her hand brushing against Callie's. Callie's breath hitched at the touch, her heart racing. Unable to do anything else, she interlaced her fingers with Arizona's, loving the way their hands fit so easily together like she always did. Arizona squeezed her hand, as they both returned their attention to Eddie.

Yeah, Callie definitely had an Arizona Robbins addiction.

* * *

 _A:N: I hope you liked the update :) Next up: Will Callie try out for the basketball team? and who shows up for a surprise visit?_


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: Here's chapter 12! I hope you guys are having a brilliant 2017 so far! :)_

* * *

 _Chapter 12_

Sweat dripping down her forehead, Callie stilled her movements. Her breathing was heavy, coming out in slow pants, gasping eagerly for as much air as she could get. Her body felt sore, her legs like jelly, as though they were going to give way any second. She shifted her weight, her hands coming to rest on bare knees. She bent forward, taking another large gulp of air. Her lungs burned at the intake, her throat dry and croaky. Her heart was racing, her pulse throbbing in her neck. But Callie felt _good._

"Yo, Torres!" Came a loud voice from the other end of the of the court. Callie took a breath, raising her head, her eyes searching for the person who had called her. Cristina was jogging towards her, her body clad in the red and white tank top and matching shorts that the basketball team wore. Callie envied the outfit, only wearing a normal tank top and white shorts for the try out session. She hoped she would be wearing the uniform soon, _if_ she had done enough. She truly wasn't sure. She had eventually caved in to the idea of trying out for the team, Cristina's persistent nagging wearing her down, and the thought had actually become more appealing.

"What Yang?" Callie breathed out, wiping a damp lock of hair behind her ear. Cristina smirked at the state of her friend, folding her arms across her chest.

"Come at me," Cristina replied, and Callie frowned at what the other girl meant. Then Cristina turned, her arms reaching to catch the ball that Meredith had suddenly thrown to her. Switching back to face Callie, Cristina thrust the ball into her arms. "Come at me."

Realising what Cristina meant, Callie groaned. Her body hurt, her head was throbbing, her heart had only _just_ began to slow, and the burn in her legs was almost unbearable. But the cocky grin on Cristina's face made Callie aware that Cristina was expecting her to back down, and Callie was never one to give into a challenge. Especially not if she was going to be made out as a fool by Cristina Yang. She hadn't gone up against Cristina during the tryout, only against Meredith and a girl called Sadie during the defense techniques. She was well aware that Cristina was one of the more skilled players, but she couldn't back down. Not now she knew Cristina was expecting her too.

Ignoring the ache deep in her muscles, Callie simply stepped back, and began to bounce the ball. Cristina's eyebrow's arched, clearly shocked, and Callie made a dive to the left. Cristina anticipated the fake left, and immediately went to the right, something Callie had anticipated. She had watched Cristina defend against somebody else who was trying out, and new that faking was something Cristina was very aware of. Which was why, as Cristina made right, Callie again went left. Running forward, the ball bouncing as she dribbled, Callie reached the hoop, and jumped, successfully performing a lay-up shot. Running under the hoop to catch the ball as it dropped, Callie twisted to face Cristina, who continued to stand in the exact same place, her mouth open in shock.

Feeling satisfied, and laughing a little as Meredith made fun of Cristina's failed attempt, Callie finally started walking back towards the changing room, offering a smile to the Coach. Inside the changing rooms, Callie decided against having a shower, choosing instead to have a warm bath to soothe her muscles when she got home. Pulling her backpack onto her shoulder, and holding her Dolphins sweatshirt in her hands (she felt far too hot to put it on), Callie began her walk towards the parking lot. The cold December air felt cool against her skin, lightly brushing against her cheeks and easing the heat away. It was a nice relief, something she craved, and Callie hummed happily in response. Her eyes drifted around the parking lot, taking in the amount of empty spaces, before landing on a car she wasn't expecting to see. Arizona's truck.

Abandoning the idea of going to her own car, Callie took steps towards Arizona's, until she was only a few feet away. She noticed the blonde in the front seat, her hair damp and pulled back into two french braids. She was wearing a her cheerleading uniform, Callie already knowing that Arizona had been at practice after school had ended, but she had also known that cheerleading practice had ended a good half hour before basketball tryouts had ended. Assuming that Arizona had been waiting to see how her tryouts had gone, and hoping that was correct, Callie walked round to the passenger door, and pulled it open. As she pulled open the door, Arizona's blue eyes snapped towards her, her lips breaking out into a large smile, and Callie grinned, realising she might have just been right.

Callie climbed in, placing her backpack and sweatshirt by her feet. Raising her head, Callie sent Arizona another smile, her heart racing slightly when the blonde's dimples came into view.

"Hey," Arizona said softly, her smile only growing wider.

"Hi," Callie replied, praying that her voice wasn't as shaky as she thought it was. "What are you still doing here?"

"I wanted to see how you got on, of course," Arizona told her, rolling her eyes a little, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh," Callie said lamely, although her heart soared at the knowledge that Arizona truly had been hanging around waiting for her.

"So?" Arizona questioned, impatiently, her eyebrows shooting high up on her forehead. "How did it go?"

"It went well," Callie admitted, hoping she hadn't just jinxed it. "It felt great playing, and I really hope I get on the team."

"You will."

"Mmm."

Callie leaned forward towards Arizona, without thinking about it, planning to kiss her. However, as soon as her lips were mere inches away from Arizona's, and Arizona's own eyes had drifted shut and her licks puckered, Callie paused, realising something. She had yet to have a wash, her body still covered in sweat, which was probably making her smell incredibly bad. She didn't want to subject Arizona to something as disgusting as that, especially after the blonde herself had showered. Leaning back abruptly into her own seat, Callie watched as Arizona's eyes shot open in question.

"Why'd you pull back?" Arizona whined, her brow crinkling and her lips forming a cute pout. Callie laughed at the pure adorableness, unable to contain the sense of joy that surged through her body.

"I'm all hot and sweaty," Callie laughed, gesturing to herself. "And you're all clean and fresh."

"Oh Calliope, I'm anything but clean," Arizona murmured teasingly, but her voice was somewhat deeper as she leaned forward, her eyes slightly darker. Callie gulped in response, her eyes widening. Did it suddenly get a lot hotter in the car?

"And for the record," Arizona continued, her eyes skipping over Callie's body as though she was devouring her, making Callie shiver. "Hot and sweaty is a _very_ good look for you."

Unable to do anything else, Callie's hand shot up and cupped the back of Arizona's neck, pulling her head towards her own fast. Their lips met quickly, a whimper already escaping the back of Callie's throat. Arizona's hands dug into Callie's hips as she moved forward, leaving her own seat, and somehow ending up in Callie's lap, her back pressed against the dashboard. The new found position gave Arizona an advantage, her head being higher than Callie's, and the angle allowed Arizona to have leverage. Callie moaned again when she felt Arizona's tongue brush against her bottom lip, begging for entry. Knowing she couldn't fight it, Callie eagerly opened up her mouth. Arizona's tongue slipped inside, immediately seeking Callie's. Callie pulled Arizona closer to her, if that was possible, Arizona's nails digging hard into Callie's hips, and Callie was almost certain that she was going to break her skin. Callie changed the angle, pushing her head to the side and captured Arizona's bottom lip between both of hers, sucking on it tenderly. She heard what sounded like a groan, but was unable to know whether it came from her or Arizona.

It was when she felt Arizona's fingers brush against the bare skin of her stomach, that Callie pulled away, her chest heaving. Arizona stilled her fingers, aware of the gesture, and simply rested her head against Callie's for a few moments while they both managed to catch their breath.

Slipping out of Callie's lap, and back into her own seat, Arizona's head fell back against the head rest.

"You're definitely going to need another shower," Callie laughed, still slightly breathless, not at all caring anymore that Arizona's body was now too covered in her own sweat.

"Oh yes, you've definitely made me dirty," Arizona smirked, her voice also out of breath, and she sent Callie a wink that made Callie's cheeks flush. She felt a dull burn in the pits of her stomach, which was different to what she had felt upon leaving the try outs. She blushed even further. While kissing Arizona was something Callie had gotten used to, the thoughts of _anything_ else were scary, especially with how her body reacted to the simplest of makeout sessions with little to no touching.

Arizona giggled at Callie's embarrassment, and leant forward, kissing Callie's lips softly and tenderly, a lot chaster than the previous kiss they had shared. Leaning back, she placed a final quick kiss against Callie's lips, before once again settling back in her seat.

"I got past Cristina," Callie blurted out suddenly, unsure of what else to say. She had to say something to try and ease out the tension she was definitely feeling.

"What? Really?" Arizona replied, flabbergasted. "No one _ever_ gets past Yang. Well, except this girl Erica Hahn who's a player on a rival team, but that was only once and she's never been able to again."

Callie simply shrugged, feeling a little bit more smug than she had before.

"A natural," Arizona beamed, her smile wide. She really did have a beautiful smile.

"Thanks," Callie mumbled bashfully. "Thanks for waiting for me, but I should probably get home now. I have a romantic date with my bath tub."

"Is that so?" Arizona asked, her eyes twinkling, as she bit her lip, looking dead sexy. Callie knew she had to leave and fast, her heart rate increasing drastically. Squeaking out a quick goodbye, Callie opened the car door, and left, her backpack slung over her shoulder. In her fast exit, she managed to forget her Dolphin's sweatshirt. Not that she needed it. The cold air still felt good against her skin.

* * *

Arizona grumbled as she struggled with her math paper. Math was _not_ her favourite thing. It wasn't that she hated solving the problems, because that wasn't it. The problem was that she couldn't put the paper down until she had completed all the questions. Inability to complete a question drove her insane, as she just _needed_ the answer. She needed to be able to reach the answer, understand how she got her answer, and then be able to do the same method again if another question came up that was similar.

Callie was coming round at about 5ish, which was in an hour, to complete some biology homework together. They had their biology final in the upcoming week, something Arizona was feeling slightly stressed about. She really did need to do well in biology.

Chewing on the end of her pen, Arizona shivered. Even with the heater on, her room still managed to get cold. Deciding that her tank top wasn't going to keep her warm alone, Arizona jumped up to retrieve her sweatshirt. Wandering over to her closet, Arizona paused when her eyes landed on Callie's Dolphin's sweatshirt that she had left in her truck. She had picked it up and put it on the back of her chair, aiming to give it back to Callie when she saw her next. Stepping towards the chair it was resting on, Arizona gingerly picked it up. Raising it to her nose, she inhaled the sweet, unique scent of Callie, the smell bringing her comfort and warmth. Her decision made, Arizona slipped Callie's sweatshirt on, hugging it close to her body. The material was a bit big on her, due to Callie being a little taller and having longer arms, but Arizona found she preferred it, the baggy sweatshirt making her feel more warm and cuddly. Pleased with her appearance, she hummed a little and flopped back down onto her bed, her eyes seeking out her math paper once again.

About half an hour later, Arizona heard a soft knock at her door. Assuming it was her Mother, Arizona called out _'come in'_ without looking up. Frowning at the simultaneous equation that was presented to her, Arizona drew in a breath. She never did understand the importance of algebra.

When her door opened but no one spoke, Arizona rolled her eyes, and spoke.

"What do you want? I'm trying to do homework."

"Well that's not a very nice way to greet your older brother, now is it?"

Arizona was sure she stopped breathing. She dropped her pen to the paper in front of her, her body shooting back so she was sitting on her bed instead of laying on it. Her eyes widened as she took in the figure standing in the doorway, a large dimpled grin on his face. It was _Tim._ He was clad in his army uniform, his blue eyes holding hers. His sleeves were rolled up, showing off his growing muscles. His hair was as short as it had been on the skype camera, but skype really didn't do Tim justice. His skin was slightly darker than she had remembered, and his eyes seemed wiser. But it was Tim.

Arizona raced towards him, jumping in his arms as soon as she reached him. Tim wrapped his arms tight around her body, Arizona nuzzling her head into his neck. It felt unreal to have Tim in front of her, holding her, being so close to him. It felt like a lifetime since she had found herself holding onto Tim, like a lifetime since he had been so close to her.

Pulling back, she stared up at him.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice unbelievably shaky.

"I was allowed to come home a week early. I got a cab from the airport."

"Tim!" She yelled, slapping him on the arm. "Why didn't you tell us? We wanted to greet you at the airport!"

"Jeez Zona," Tim muttered, rubbing his arm as though it truly hurt him. Arizona rolled her eyes. "It was a surprise, that's why."

Unable to stay mad at him for coming home early, Arizona once again wrapped her arms around him. Tim laughed into her ear, rubbing his hand up and down her back. She had missed the comfort being around Tim brought. She had missed her best friend. She loved Teddy, she truly did, but Tim was her true best friend, the one constant friend in her life. They had gone through everything together; He was her person. She didn't like being away from him. Learning to be apart from Tim was harder than any move they had ever gone through. It was so much harder than leaving Joanne. Tim was consistent in her life, and then suddenly he wasn't. But there he was, holding her, for the first time in months. And he was going to be around for three full weeks. The thought was amazing, she couldn't believe it. It seemed like a long time and a short time all at once.

"Um, Zona?" Tim said, after a moment, breaking Arizona's train of thought.

Arizona once again pulled out of his arms, and stared at him questionably.

"Yes?" She asked, noticing the way Tim was frowning at her. He looked as though he was disappointed, but she had no idea why on earth he would be.

"Well," he started, folding his arms in an angry like manner. "I didn't realise I'd been away long enough for you to change football teams. I thought we were both die-hard 49ers fans."

His tone was bitter, but the light in his eyes gave his teasing away.

"What do you mean?" Arizona asked, bewildered. "I'm still a _die-hard_ 49ers fan, why the hell are you questioning that?"

"Maybe because you're wearing a Dolphin's sweatshirt?"

Arizona felt her cheeks go red as she glanced down at her body, seeing herself snug in Callie's sweatshirt. _Right._ When she had put on Callie's sweatshirt, she had _not_ been expecting her brother to return home and see her wearing it. In fact, she hadn't planned on anyone seeing her wearing it, not really; It was just comfortable and comforting. Wrapping her fingers around the sleeves, and making no attempt to take it off (she was far too cozy), Arizona just shrugged her shoulders as though it was no big deal.

"It's just my friend's," Arizona told him, hoping that her voice didn't give it away. "She left it in my truck yesterday and I got a bit cold earlier and just slipped it on. No big deal."

"Right," Tim retorted, nodding his head as though he was accepting her explanation. "She must be a very good friend if you noticed that it's a Dolphin's sweatshirt and still put it on."

"Yes, the best," Arizona replied sweetly, not giving into Tim's bait. She was well aware he was trying to get a rise out of her.

Tim laughed again, and Arizona shoved him with her shoulder, the two of them leaving Arizona's bedroom, and walking down the stairs. Both of their parents were in the kitchen, Daniel leaning against the counter and sipping a mug of steaming coffee, while Barbara was busying herself making a mug of what appeared to be hot chocolate. Arizona licked her lips at the sight of whipped cream and a chocolate flake topping the hot chocolate, her body immediately craving one. Barbara twisted round, picking up the mug of hot chocolate, and walked towards Arizona and Tim, a large smile on her face.

"Here you go, son," Barbara said, handing the mug to Tim, who sighed in content at the mug before him.

"Ooh, Mom can I have one of those too?" Arizona asked, watching Tim take a sip.

"If you make yourself one," Barbara replied, and Arizona groaned. Her hot chocolates _never_ were anywhere as good as her mother's.

"You made Tim one!" Arizona accused, glaring at Tim as he stuck his tongue at her cheekily.

"He's had a long flight, Arizona!" Barbara snapped, ending the discussion. "You haven't."

Mumbling something incoherent under her breath, Arizona leaned against the counter beside her Father, noticing the way he chuckled a little at her pout. Arizona just stared as Barbara fussed over Tim, telling him that he should go and take a long steaming bath and take his time, before the family went out for a nice dinner.

"We're going out for dinner?" Arizona asked, entering the conversation.

"Red Lobster!" Tim called out in glee, punching the air.

"Your Mother suggested we go out to celebrate Tim's return," Daniel told her gently, and Arizona turned to face her Father. "Red Lobster sound good to you?"

"Definitely," Arizona replied, her stomach rumbling in response.

"Good," Daniel said smiling, and Arizona noticed that for the first time in quite a while, her Father seemed truly happy. "Go get changed while Tim's in the bath."

Nodding in response, Arizona left the kitchen and began to walk towards the stairs. She was looking forward to going out for dinner. They hadn't gone out much as a family since Tim had gone away, Arizona knowing that it felt weird enough with them eating at home as a three, let alone going out somewhere else. For a few weeks, they were going to feel like an actual family again, which truly made Arizona feel good. She had missed the silly bickering with Tim, she had missed the louder dinners and louder family time. She had missed playing video games with Tim, as neither of her parents understood the love for them Tim and Arizona shared. And even though she was aware that Tim was going to get loads of attention, she didn't mind. Not really.

When she had gone up two steps of the stairs, Arizona heard the doorbell ring. Stepping towards the door, Arizona pulled it open, revealing Callie standing on the doorstep, her arms holding her biology text book and her notebook. Arizona's eyes widened. Callie coming round to complete homework together had completely slipped her mind after seeing Tim, and she bit her lip. Callie was wearing black jeans and a red top, as well as her leather jacket. She was also wearing a pair of gloves, which was as far as Callie got in the dressing for winter department.

"Hey!" Callie said, stepping into the warm house when Arizona moved to the side and granted her entry. Callie's eyes roamed Arizona's body, a smirk pulling at her lips. "Keeping my sweatshirt warm, huh?"

Before Arizona could reply, a voice came from behind her, making the pair of them jump.

"So this is the friend that's special enough for you to wear a Dolphin's sweatshirt?"

Arizona glanced at Tim, seeing the smug look on his face, the delight and amusement dancing in his blue eyes. Judging by the way he was looking at Callie, Arizona feared that he had managed to place the pieces together. _No no no no no._

"Um, Callie, this is my brother Tim. Tim, this is Callie," Arizona mumbled, doing the necessary introductions, inching a little closer to Callie.

"Nice to meet you," Tim said, pulling off his charming smile, putting his hand forward. He popped his dimples, and Arizona felt as though she was going to die. With his full smile, stunning blue eyes, and army gear, Arizona was sure he could get any girl he wanted.

"Pleasure," Callie replied, reaching her free gloved hand forward to shake Tim's. She smiled, although a little uneasily Arizona couldn't help but notice. "Sorry, Arizona said you weren't getting back until next week."

"He surprised us by coming home early today," Arizona explained, not wanting Callie to think that she purposely lied or withheld information.

Callie nodded, her eyes returning to Arizona's. Arizona had to stop herself from getting lost in Callie's eyes, not wanting Tim to be open to anything else. She knew she was going to be teased terribly they moment they were alone.

"I'm sorry, Callie," Arizona began. "I forgot when Tim got here that we were meant to be doing biology, and we're actually going to go out for dinner with Mom and Dad and-"

"Hey, it's okay!" Callie interrupted, holding up her free hand. "Seriously, I understand. It's fine, family comes first and all of that. Maybe another time?"

"Unless you want to join us?"

Arizona turned to face Tim quickly, her mouth gaping open in surprise. Tim was staring at Callie, his offer echoing in her mind. Arizona chanced a look at Callie, seeing Callie also looking quite shocked at Tim's sudden offer.

"Um, I probably shouldn't," Callie said weakly, clearing her throat. "It's a family thing, I wouldn't want to intrude."

"You wouldn't be intruding," Tim assured her, and Arizona didn't understand why Tim was so keen for Callie to join them for dinner. Callie didn't seem to understand either, and Arizona felt sorry for her. Tim could be a handful, and was always good at getting his way.

"Callie, ignore him he's being-"

"MOM!" Tim yelled, cutting Arizona off completely, his loud voice causing her to stumble back. She glared at him intensely. Callie shifted a little to Arizona's side, and Arizona turned to face her, mouthing 'I'm sorry.'

"Yes dear?" Barbara asked, stepping into the hallway, wiping down her hands on her apron. Her eyes lit up when she noticed Callie standing at Arizona's side, and she immediately stepped forward to envelope Callie in a hug. "Callie, it's lovely to see you. How are you?"

"Callie came over to do some homework with Arizona, but seeing as we're going out for dinner, she should join us, right?" Tim questioned, not allowing Callie to answer Barbara's question. Tim, it seemed, was well aware that his parents would do anything for him while he was back, and was using that to his advantage.

"Yes of course! You're more than welcome, you know that," Barbara said lovingly, squeezing Callie's arm. Callie smiled at Barbara gratefully, but Arizona noticed a slight edge to it. Tim stood grinning smugly, an eyebrow raised in Arizona's direction.

God, what had she gotten herself into?

* * *

"Faster! Go faster!" Arizona screamed, her hair blowing in the wind. Her face was lit up, her eyes shining with joy, and Callie laughed at her childlike behavior.

They were on their way to the Red Lobster, and Arizona had chosen to ride in Callie's car, saying that Callie couldn't do the short journey alone. Arizona had felt rather excited about getting into Callie's car, something Callie was well aware of. Tim's jaw had dropped when he had seen Callie's car, Callie remembering Arizona telling her on her first day how her and Tim loved cars. It was clear that the Robbins siblings were very similar.

"We're nearly here now," Callie told her, giggling at the frown on Arizona's face. "Are you really frowning at the fact that we have basically arrived at the restaurant? Who are you?"

"I'm sorry, Calliope, but your car is just too awesome," Arizona exclaimed, her eyes narrowing as Callie pulled into the parking lot.

"Awesome? Really?"

"Yes, awesome."

"I think she's a bit more badass than just _awesome,_ " Callie muttered, a mock glare being thrown in Arizona's direction.

"Sorry Calliope, I can't help it if it's awesome," Arizona said cheekily, and a light smile broke out on Callie's face.

Callie pulled into a parking space, a few spaces away from where the rest of Arizona's family had parked. She made to open her door, but a hand on her wrist stopped her, and she turned back to immediately feel lips on hers. Arizona kissed her softly and slowly, a small chaste kiss, before pulling away.

"I couldn't go another minute without kissing you, I'm sorry."

"Never apologise," Callie replied, running her tongue over her lips and tasting the sweetness of Arizona's lips.

Arizona grinned, twisting around and exiting the car. Callie took a deep breath, and then opened her own door, placing her feet on the ground and easing herself out. Closing her door, and making sure the car was locked, Callie and Arizona began to walk towards where the rest of the family were.

Tim was dressed now in a pair of blue jeans and a button down top, topped off with a black jacket. His hair was still slightly damp, but Callie couldn't deny that he was very handsome. She had seen pictures of him in Arizona's house, but they really didn't do him justice. His eyes were darker than Arizona's, but were still as beautiful. Of course, in her eyes, nobody could compare to Arizona. The girl on her side was incredibly beautiful, and Callie didn't find anybody more attractive than her. Not even her hot older brother.

"Before I go back you have to take me out in that beauty," Tim exclaimed when the two were in talking distance. "I mean, I'll even pay you. For once, I'm actually jealous of Zona for being able to ride in your car whenever she wants."

"Actually, that was Arizona's fir-"

"Yeah, it's pretty great," Arizona said smugly, nodding her head. Callie looked at her, amused, but Arizona pretended to ignore her.

"Come on you lot," Daniel said, gesturing for them all to move inside. Callie fell in step with Arizona and Tim, Arizona's parents walking ahead of them.

Inside the restaurant, the family plus Callie were seated in a booth, Arizona choosing to sit beside Callie, while Tim sat on the opposite side inbetween his parents. Upon receiving the menu, Callie's eyes widened when she realised she didn't have much cash on her. She had around 10 dollars to go halves on pizza with Arizona, as originally planned, but not enough for an actual meal. Biting her lip as her eyes skimmed over the prices, Callie wondered what to do. Maybe she could ask Arizona if she could borrow some money and she'd pay her back afterwards. That could work, right?

"Have anything you want," Barbara told them, and Arizona and Tim mumbled a thanks, still searching the menu. Callie looked at Barbara and Daniel awkwardly, not wanting them to think they had to pay for her food. Barbara, however, sent her an encouraging smile. "That includes you, Callie."

Feeling a little more relaxed, Callie allowed herself to look at the menu properly. She wasn't going to go overboard, she knew that she didn't want to take advantage of Arizona's parents kindness.

Once they had ordered a round of drinks, and everybody seemed to know what they wanted to eat, the party put their menus up the other end of the table. Callie's eyes swept around the restaurant. She liked shellfish a lot, but her family rarely ate it because her Mother was allergic. She had been to the Red Lobster a few times with her Father, but they hadn't been in years.

"Wanna share an appetizer?" Arizona asked Callie. "I fancy some calamari to start, but I don't want one to myself because I want to save myself for the main course."

"Sounds good," Callie agreed, smiling in thanks as the young blonde waitress placed their drinks on the table. Taking a sip from her cold soda, Callie sighed in appreciation.

"Are you all ready to order?" The waitress asked, smiling happily, a notepad in her hand.

"I believe so," Daniel confirmed, and then proceeded to recite his order.

Tim ordered next, winking at the waitress who blushed, which earned him a slap from his Mother.

After the rest had ordered, and the waitress had left carrying the menus, conversation began. For a while, Callie just sat back and listened as the family engaged in conversation, not wanting to interrupt them in their first conversation as a family in a year. They were dynamic, easily feeding off each other and making jokes. Daniel was slightly more reserved than the rest of them, but he still too participated in joke making. Arizona looked happy, in her element, carelessly enjoying the company. Callie found her more beautiful than ever before, pure happiness looking extremely good on the other girl. Callie's lips turned into a fond smile as she stared at Arizona, unable to hold back. She felt privileged to see Arizona like this, so carefree and just as herself, and Callie realised that she loved it. Finally looking away from her lab partner, Callie caught Tim's eye, and blushed as she noticed that he had caught her staring.

"So Zona," Tim said, moving his eyes off of Callie, and to his sister. "Have you applied to any colleges yet?"

Callie found herself intrigued, and turned to face Arizona, awaiting her answer. She was well aware that they were going away to college next year, as many of those in her grade had already sent off their applications, and others had already been accepted into the colleges they wanted to go to. Callie had sent off her own application about a week ago, and was hoping to hear back sometime in the new year.

"I applied to the University of California, San Francisco," Arizona admitted, sipping from her straw. Callie found it cute that Arizona had demanded a straw. "But I haven't heard back yet."

"That's one of the best for medicine," Tim said, his tone filled with awe.

"I know," Arizona replied, smiling. "Teddy got into Stanford."

"Wow, you're all a bunch of brainiacs," Tim laughed, rolling his eyes, but Callie could tell he was filled with pride.

"Bailey thinks Arizona has a shot at getting into Harvard," Barbara told Tim, and Arizona groaned loudly, her head dropping forward onto the table.

"Mom, please stop," Arizona whined, her voice muffled.

"I'm just saying, Arizona," Barbara defended. "It's always been your dream. And there's no harm in applying, it's getting late."

"Mom," Arizona said, her eyes pleading with her Mother's to drop it. Barbara gave in, settling back against the seat.

"What about you, Callie?" Daniel asked, turning the conversation towards Callie, seemingly aware that Arizona was going to explode if Tim said anything about Harvard. "You want to go into medicine as well, right?"

"Yes Sir," Callie confirmed, shifting in her seat once she was aware that all eyes were now on her. "I applied to UCSF too, but I'm waiting for a letter."

Arizona grinned, her smile breaking across her face at Callie's words. The blonde also seemed a little relieved at Callie's words, and Callie smiled back at her.

The short conversation was interrupted with the arrival of food, Callie's mouths watering at the sight of her and Arizona's calamari. As the waitress placed the food down, Callie picked a piece up with her fingers and popped it straight into her mouth. As soon as she did so, her eyes began to water as her mouth had, and she grabbed her drink, taking a large sip in an effort to ease away the heat.

"You see, Calliope, that's why you blow on the food first," Arizona teased her, and Callie elbowed her in the side, causing the blonde to squeal.

As the family dug in to eat, and Arizona and Callie continued to share silent glances, Callie knew that she felt at home with Arizona and her family, more so than she did at her own home. She felt free, as though she could be herself. She felt happy. For the first time in a while, Callie was able to admit that. She had thought she had been happy back in Miami, and she had been, but that was a different kind of happiness. It wasn't like the happiness she felt here. With Arizona and her family, Callie felt as though she truly belonged somewhere. She just hoped that feeling never went away.

* * *

 _A/N: Personally I didn't like that chapter too much, but oh well :) Next up: Mark throws a Christmas party. Two people end up under the mistletoe, but is it a blessing or a curse?_


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: Hey guys :) Sorry there has been such a large wait for this next update, but my dad was in a really bad motorbike accident towards the end of January, so I have spent a lot of my free time at the hospital and helping out my mum. But I have definitely not given up on this story :) I hope you enjoy_

* * *

 _C_ _hapter 13_

"Stevens has really got it out for you."

Arizona rolled her eyes, slamming shut her locker door, and leaning back against it. She huffed, blowing out a breath, and folded her arms across her chest. _Great._ Another person on the cheer-leading team now hated her. Not that she missed her at _all,_ but Lauren hadn't spoken to Arizona in months, and it seemed that Izzie was going to go the same way, which would definitely make practice a joy. It wasn't her _fault._ Okay, maybe she had a small part in Lauren hating her guts (even though she would never admit it to Teddy, she did feel a little guilty), but Izzie really had no right nor reason to dislike her.

"I didn't do anything," Arizona retorted, frowning. "It's not like it was my decision."

"Oh , but you _stole_ it from her," Teddy laughed, swerving to avoid Arizona's fist, as Arizona made to punch her in the arm. "Okay, I'm sorry. She's just bitter that you took her position as Vice Captain. It's her own fault that she skipped practice a bunch of times and Coach finally realised that you deserve it."

"It's not like I asked for it!" Arizona declared, closing her eyes and banging her head back against the locker. "Coach never ran it past me, I found out when she did!"

"Everything okay here?"

Arizona's eyes popped open. She immediately stood up straight, her eyes taking in the sight of Callie standing beside Teddy. Callie was looking at her concerned, her eyes drawn together and her teeth pulling on her lower lip. Callie wasn't even _trying_ to look sexy, but she was, there was no doubt about that. The tight red burgundy sweater and dark blue jeans were practically screaming at Arizona, her fingers inching to reach out and touch her. It was then that Arizona realised she hadn't said a word.

"Everything's fine," Arizona replied, her anger subsiding after a quick glance at the brunette. "Izzie just hates my guts."

"Arizona got made Vice Captain of the team, which had been Izzie's position," Teddy added, when a look of confusion flashed across Callie's tanned features at Arizona's words.

"So now she hates me," Arizona mumbled again. "I don't talk to her much really anyway, but it's going to make it very awkward on the team if two of the teammates refuse to speak to me."

"You never told me you got made Vice Captain!" Callie exclaimed, grinning widely at Arizona. Arizona's heart soared a little. "That's great! Well done!"

"It's nothing," Arizona responded, although praise coming from Callie made her feel like it was everything. Callie smiled, her soft lips curling upwards, her eyes glistening with what looked like pride. Arizona felt heat rising in her cheeks and knew she needed to look away and regain composure, but she knew it wasn't that easy. Callie was able to put her in a trance, denying her any self control she once thought she had. Callie was able to take it all away with one single look, and it scared Arizona.

"Okay, gotta run, I'm meeting Henry to study," Teddy declared suddenly, and both sets of eyes transferred to her. Arizona had been lost in her own world, and had momentarily forgotten the presence of her best friend. Not that she minded. Being lost in a world just with Callie seemed like quite a good idea, one that Arizona would gladly get lost in. But, she also knew that seeing as Teddy had no idea just how much her 'friendship' with Callie had progressed, she would have to issue a sense of control over herself a bit more. She felt terrible keeping her friend in the dark about something that was certainly very important in her life, but Arizona was also well aware that she would feel even more terrible if she was the one to out Callie without her permission.

"Yeah, okay having fun _'studying'_ ," Arizona teased, raising her eyebrows suggestively. Teddy glared at her, pinching the top of Arizona's arm, causing her to squeal. Teddy then turned to walk down the hallway, her bag swinging from her shoulder.

Twisting her head to see Callie, her heart stopped completely at the look Callie was giving her. It was full of what looked like pure adoration, Callie's eyes softly holding hers, her lips till curled into a smile as she stared at her. Arizona swallowed, taking a shuddering breath. She wanted nothing more than to pull Callie towards her right then and kiss her lovingly, pouring every single emotion into the kiss. But she knew she couldn't do that, so taking a deep breath, Arizona decided changing the subject was probably the best way to proceed.

"How was training?"

Callie's eyes lit up, and Arizona knew she had succeeded. Callie had found out that she had made it onto the basketball team the day before, something that didn't surprise Arizona, nor anybody else. Callie, however, was very surprised, and had stared at the sheet confirming her place for a good ten minutes before finally speaking a word. Callie had gone to her first practice at lunch, looking incredibly nervous, although now it seemed all those nerves had quickly washed away.

"It was amazing, Arizona!" Callie exclaimed, excitement ringing through her voice. "I got the kit! I'm number 26! I have a jersey!"

Arizona subconsciously licked her lips at the thought of a hot and sweaty Callie wearing nothing but a basketball jersey. She felt a tingle in her stomach, and shook her head, needing that image to disappear before she did something she would regret.

"That's awesome! Really, really awesome," Arizona replied, proud of herself for continuing to speak normally, despite the uncomfortable twinge.

"The first game isn't until after Christmas," Callie said, with a nod of her head. "You'll come watch, right?"

"Of course, I'm there. I'll see if you're as much of a superstar as me," Arizona smirked, her smile growing at the mock-glare Callie sent her way. The happiness shining in the chocolate eyes gave away her happiness though.

"Haha," Callie said, with a gentle roll of her eyes. "Anyway," the brunette continued, changing the subject. "Are you going to Mark's Christmas party tomorrow night?"

Arizona had heard non-stop from just about everyone about Mark Sloan's Christmas party. Well, really, it was just a typical, normal house party, Mark using the excuse of the upcoming holiday as a reason to throw one. The football player's parents were out of town from Friday night until Monday night, a small Christmas getaway, as Mark had called it, and Mark had jumped at the chance of having a party. Of course, just about everyone had been invited, and after a long 'Let's let go and celebrate!' speech from Teddy, Arizona had given into the idea of going. It wasn't that she didn't like Mark (not that she was too fond of him), but she had been to a few of Mark's parties before, and they had a tendency to get very out of hand.

"Yeah, I am," Arizona responded. "Are you?"

"As far as I'm aware."

"Teddy convinced me," Arizona elaborated, sighing at the mention of her best friend's name. "Honestly I think she's just using me as a ride because her wheel has a puncture."

Callie chuckled at the slight bitterness of Arizona's tone, knowing deep down that Arizona didn't mind helping out her friend at all. To Arizona, having a friend to help out felt really _good_.

"I've got to go see Cristina about something we did in training, I didn't quite understand it. I'll see you later?"

"You bet."

* * *

"Somebody's looking hot, Torres," Mark called out from across the room, a can of beer in his hand. He wolf-whistled at her, and sent a wink, Callie shaking her head at him in disbelief. The living room was crowded, mainly with seniors, but a few juniors were present as well. The music was loud, echoing around the large room, people dancing wildly with cans and cups of drink in their hands. Callie didn't recognise the song that was playing, and was standing towards the sofa, a cup of soda in her hand, having turned down the frequent alcohol that was offered to her upon arrival.

Callie was wearing tight black jeans, her favourite pair, and a green shirt, topped by her leather jacket. Her hair was down in loose waves, pulled to her left shoulder. She had applied light makeup, not too much, but enough to bring out a few of her features. She felt a little awkward, Mark's party being the first high school party she had ever been to. Her last school was strictly catholic, and while there were a few rebels, the majority of students were genuinely well behaved. The closest to a party Callie had gotten to was the many sleepovers she had had over at Addison's house. This, however, was a proper party, with loud music, dancing, drinking, and what she could only guess was most likely a lot of sex happening at different spots around the house.

Callie was standing with Cristina and Meredith. Well, rather, she was standing a few feet behind the two while they danced. Well, if you could call it dancing. To Callie, it looked just like a lot of jumping and screaming. It did make her laugh, though.

"Come on, Callie!" Cristina yelled, her voice fighting against the speakers. Her hair was flying around her, making it hard for Callie to try and grasp eye-contact. "Dance!"

Callie shook her head, laughing, raising her cup as an excuse to sit that one out. She felt quite comfortable just watching at that moment, and didn't want to join in yet. Maybe she would later, she wasn't sure at that moment.

"You're no fun!" Meredith shouted, still jumping in time with the beat, her arms waving around above her head.

"Yeah Calliope, you're no fun," hissed a soft, yet sultry voice in her ear, causing goosebumps to appear down her neck.

Twisting round, already knowing exactly who was behind her due to her body's reaction, Callie came face to face with her blonde lab partner. Callie had been scanning the crowds for Arizona the moment she had arrived, and after having no luck, she had given up, figuring that maybe Arizona had decided against coming. However, there Arizona stood, looking _incredibly_ hot. Arizona had chosen to wear a pair of dark blue jeans, the jeans so tight they looked as though they were painted on. The tight fitting, low cut purple sweater left almost nothing to the brunette's imagination, saliva pooling in her mouth at the sight of the bare skin. Arizona's eyes were sparkling with amusement at the way Callie was staring at her and as much as Callie wanted to act as though she hadn't done anything, she couldn't help the strong blush that took over her face.

"I thought maybe you weren't coming," Callie said, speaking a little louder than normal, after she had found the ability to form words.

"That's Teddy's fault," Arizona sighed, folding her arms across her chest, making her breasts press against the seam of her sweater accidentally, causing Callie to gulp. "Henry's coming tonight , and she couldn't find the right outfit. I mean, really, find an outfit that makes your boobs, ass and legs look good, it's not that hard."

"Is that what you went for?" Callie asked, the words leaving her mouth before could register them. Thank _god_ for the loud music preventing anyone else from hearing what she had said.

"Why, do you think my boobs and ass _and_ legs look good?" Arizona asked, her voice somewhat innocent as she leaned closer to Callie. Callie bit her lip, refocusing her eyes on the wall opposite her. She knew Arizona had been getting more bold with her, something Callie loved, but there was always the underlying sense of embarrassment.

"Maybe," Callie replied, locating Arizona's eyes again, trying to ignore the racing of her heart. "Do you think mine look good?"

The conversation steered towards Arizona, as her blue eyes took in the length of Callie's body, her teeth biting hard on her lip. Her eyes darkened, turning close to navy, and Callie knew that she had been successful in playing off the comment.

Their eyes met, and Callie grinned a little smugly, happy that she had the same effect on Arizona that Arizona had on her. Arizona was hot, incredibly so, and Callie had always felt a little insecure about her appearance, but the look Arizona had given her made all her insecurities fly out the window, and suddenly she felt like she looked hot. Arizona made her feel like she was hot, like she was some kind of goddess. It was an amazing feeling.

"So, um, do you wanna dance?" Arizona asked, although she didn't sound as confident as she usually did. Her eyes widened a little, and she quickly added, "Just like how Meredith and Cristina are dancing, of course."

Callie debated the offer in her head. Sure, she had danced as friends with Arizona before, but that was before she had fully accepted her attraction towards the blonde, and before she had learned how it felt to kiss the other girl. Part of her wasn't sure if she could keep her hands fully to herself if they danced, knowing how Arizona's skin felt under her fingertips, and especially with what Arizona was wearing. Her head was feeling dizzy at the thought of it.

"Doubting that you can keep your hands off of me?" Arizona said, when Callie didn't say anything, but apparently the moment of silence had granted Arizona her cool composure again, as her voice was soft and flirty.

"I think that's the other way round," Callie retorted, not wanting Arizona to win the small stand off. Arizona quirked her eyebrow at the response, before Callie laughed. "Where is Teddy, anyway?"

"Henry of course," Arizona replied, as though it was the most obvious answer. The darker blonde had left in search of the other boy the moment they had set foot into Mark's house.

"Are they official yet?"

"Not exactly. So I take it that's a no to dancing?"

Callie could sense the slight vulnerability in the tone of Arizona's voice, and didn't want to be the cause of that. Arizona's confidence was something that intrigued her about the other girl, and she knew that Arizona had always grown up quite confident due to her marine background. But for some reason, Callie continuously found that Arizona seemed nervous around her, as though she was unsure about everything, and Callie didn't want that to be the case. Not that she was much better, but Callie herself had always been quite reserved.

"Yes to dancing, but maybe we could have a drink first? I could do with another soda."

"Sure!" Arizona nodded, a wide smile growing on her pink lips. "I'll be right back."

Callie watched as Arizona disappeared into the sea of people, eyes losing sight of the bobbling blonde head. Arizona was smaller than most of their fellow classmates, so it wasn't hard for her to merge in with the crowd. Callie drank the last few drops of drink in her cup, and then placed it on the corner table, making sure to use a coaster so it didn't leave a ring. The music had changed into a song that Callie was fortunate enough to know this time, and she began softly singing the words under her breath. Her body swayed a little to the familiar tune, while she heard others shouting the words loudly and laughing goofily, Callie finding that for once, she truly understood what it was like to be in high school.

However, when someone very loudly shouted, "MISTLETOE!" the chatter on the apparent 'dance floor' came to an abrupt end, as everyone seemed suddenly interested. Callie turned her own head, recognising the voice as Mark's, and saw Mark grinning, his hand pointing over to the opposite corner he was standing in. Callie glanced over to where Mark was pointing, finding the table where everybody was getting their drinks, and hanging above it, was exactly what Mark had declared; a spring of mistletoe. Due to the lack of movement, Callie had a clear view of Leah Murphy, the girl who had danced with Arizona at prom, standing beat red under it. Many people began laughing, even Callie at one point, as Leah's face was priceless. However, it was when Callie's eyes drifted over to the other person standing under the mistletoe, that her laughter came to a halt.

Arizona was standing next to Leah, two cups of soda in her hand, the drinks she had been getting for herself and Callie. Arizona laughed at Mark's comment, sounding a little too false to be true laugh, however, and made to move, but Mark's voice stopped her.

"Hey! Mistletoe is mistletoe, Blondie!" Mark shouted, smiling toothily at her. "Unless you're dating someone, which we all know isn't true, you have to kiss. Otherwise it's bad luck."

"You do know mistletoe is poisonous, right?" Arizona counteracted, rolling her eyes. "It's a stupid tradition."

"Come on Arizona! L-Live a little," slurred Teddy, who had already gotten a little tipsy. Her body was slumped against Henry's.

Arizona's eyes shot over towards Callie for a split second, Callie's heart racing in her chest. Callie knew she had no right to get upset over Arizona kissing anybody else. She had no right to tell Arizona not to kiss anybody else. In fact, she wasn't even sure if Arizona had been kissing anybody else. Of course Callie wasn't, but she didn't exactly have people lining up for her, nor did she want to kiss anybody else, but was that the same for Arizona? Sure, she remembered the blonde telling her that she hadn't enjoyed her date very much because she had been thinking about Callie, but was that really true? Or had Arizona just been saying that? The blonde had never actually told her that she liked her, not out front. What if she didn't? Everything was so confusing for Callie, but one thing that was certain was that she _did_ like Arizona a lot, and the thought of her kissing somebody else made Callie's skin crawl.

Arizona seemed to realise that she was not going to be able to get out of it, and huffed in response, which Mark apparently found hilarious. She twisted around, placing the cups on the table, before turning back around just as fast. Callie couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene, and was glad that everybody was focused on what was going on rather than looking at her. Arizona didn't send another look in Callie's direction, and instead, Callie watched as Arizona's reached up, grasped the back of Leah's head, and kissed the younger girl full on the lips.

Callie didn't see how long the kiss lasted. Logically, she knew it wouldn't have lasted very long, but she felt the need to leave straight away. Tears were threatening to fall down her cheeks, and she really did not need an audience for that. Mumbling a quick, "Headache' when Cristina questioned why she was leaving, Callie was out of the house before anyone could say another word.

* * *

She had seen the devastated look in Callie's eyes.

Part of Arizona had wanted Callie to step in and say something when Mark pointed out that she wasn't dating anyone, but rationally she knew that her lab partner was no where near ready for that. She also knew that there was no other way that she could have gotten out of the situation other than by kissing Leah. It wasn't exactly a kiss, if she was being honest. It had lasted all of a second, and she barely had the time to register the feeling of Leah's lips against hers. Not that she really cared or wanted to know. The only thing on her mind in that instant was the fact that Callie was watching. She hadn't allowed herself to look over at Callie other than that small glance. She didn't want to make what she was feeling, or what Callie was feeling, apparent to anybody else.

Arizona had left Leah's side the moment the kiss had ended, not wanting the other girl to misinterpret what had happened; it was a mistletoe kiss, that was _it._ She was also desperate to find Callie, and make sure that they were okay, but as her scanned around the room, her eyes couldn't locate Callie anywhere.

"Do you know where Callie went?"

Cristina spun around from where she was dancing, her arms still flying.

"She said something about a headache," Cristina replied loudly, before her eyes lit up at something across the room, and she made her way to the other side of the living room. Arizona's eyes widened, her eyes drifting towards the doorway and the front door. A decision was made in an instant, her legs carrying her quickly out of the house, the cold air hitting her face and brushing her cheeks.

The street was dark, as it had been when she entered Mark's house, and was lit up by the various street lamps that were located throughout the street. Arizona gripped the sleeves of her sweater, her teeth chattering at the winter air, her breath appearing before her. Her eyes sweeped along the sidewalk to the left of Mark's house, not seeing a person in sight, before she repeated the action by looking down the left. Nearing the end of the road, she could make out a silhouette, and immediately started running towards it.

Running in super tight jeans wasn't exactly what Arizona had in mind, but she knew she couldn't leave Callie alone, and if she walked, she wouldn't make it to her quick enough.

Upon coming closer, the form before her became clear that it was Callie, Arizona recognising the clothing the brunette had chosen to wear. Panting a little, her lungs craving oxygen, Arizona called out.

"Calliope!"

Callie paused her movements, but didn't turn around. Arizona slowed to a walk, and tentatively approached her, her hand reaching out to caress Callie's shoulder. Callie turned at the sudden contact, Arizona immediately seeing the tear tracks on Callie's face, her eyes slightly red and puffy.

"Calliope," she repeated, her voice softer.

"Don't," Callie mumbled, hastily wiping her eyes, and refusing to look Arizona in the eye. "Don't tell me that I have no right to be crying because I know I don't. I know that I can't be upset that you kissed someone else when we're just friends who make out sometimes, I know that I can't stop you from kissing someone else if you want to and when you want to, I know that I have no say in anything you want to do. Arizona, I know that, so please, you don't need to remind me."

"I wasn't going to say that," Arizona told her gently, wanting nothing more than to pull the sad brunette into her arms, but not wanting to spook her. "And if it was the other way round, I probably would be reacting the same way, except I'd do it with a false smile and bitchy attitude." Arizona laughed a little at the end, trying to diffuse the tension, but the corners of Callie's lips barely twitched.

"Calliope," Arizona began again when Callie didn't reply, going with a different approach. "I know this is all new for you, I know that. And I love what we have been doing, but that's because it's you, and I _really_ like you. I don't want to kiss anybody else. I don't want to do that because the only person I want to do that with is you. I haven't been doing anything else with anyone. We don't know what this is, not exactly, and I know it's messy, but I can assure you that I don't want anybody but you. And I'm sorry if that freaks you out, which I hope it doesn't, but I am in this with you. Entirely. I am."

Callie stared at her, finally allowing her still teary brown eyes to meet the blue ones before her. "You really like me?"

"You know I do," Arizona whispered, finally giving in to her mind and reaching out to interlace her fingers with Callie's. She squeezed the hand reassuringly, softly stroking the back of Callie's hand with her thumb, unsure of what else to do.

"I like you, too," Callie said, just as quietly as Arizona had spoken. "I'm not ready for people to know, and I'm still frightened about the whole thing. But I want you to know that I don't want to kiss anybody else either."

Arizona beamed, unable to stop her dimples from popping full force onto her cheeks. She had been terrified that Callie would soon realise that she posessed no feelings whatsoever for her, and had been wrong about her, but the fact that Callie truly did like her made Arizona's heart soar. The lack of people close by, and the darkness preventing people who were far away from noticing who the two were, made Arizona feel confident enough to pull Callie towards her, and kiss her lips soft and tenderly, caressing the other girls lips with her own, pouring all her feelings into the simple kiss. Callie kissed her back just as gently, Arizona feeling the saltiness of her tears on her lips, and there was no underlying passion or lust hidden between the kiss. It was simply two girls, in that moment, becoming one, and Arizona loved every moment of it.

"Want to go to the park?" Arizona asked, when the pulled apart, their faces still close together. She could see the moonlight reflecting in Callie's eyes, a beautiful sight, and it took her a moment to stop herself from getting lost in them.

"Right now?"

"Uh-huh," Arizona confirmed, bobbing her head. "Nobody will be there because it's late, and it's a clear night which is really great! We can lay on the grass and look at the stars. Oooh! I can point out the constellations! My dad taught Tim and I when we were younger, and I have always remembered, it's pretty cool actually, and-"

Arizona was cut off with a quick peck, and as Callie drew back, Arizona blushed, knowing she had been rambling.

"You're such a dork," Callie smiled, the smile immediately making Arizona's whole world brighter. She loved Callie's smile, more than anything else. "But yes, I'd like that."

"Great! We should go back for my truck though, and park at mine and then walk down? I have a blanket in the back we can take. Wait. Did you drive to the party? Because I took Teddy, but Henry will most likely take her home, I'll text her, but did you drop anyone off? Will they need a ride back? Or-"

"Arizona," Callie interrupted her again, and Arizona blinked in response, once again realising she had been rambling. It was good that Callie stopped her, although she definitely preferred the first way the other girl had shut her up. "I got a ride with Meredith. It's fine, we can just take your car."

"Okay," Arizona nodded, happy with their plan. She felt slightly giddy at the thought of lying on a blanket with Callie and watching the stars. It was really romantic, like something out of a cheesy romantic comedy.

"I'm sorry for freaking out, I guess I'm the crazy one in this.. Thing," Callie admitted, rolling her eyes at herself, as they set off for Mark's house to retrieve Arizona's truck.

"Just today," Arizona chuckled, bumping her shoulder into Callie's. "Tomorrow, I'll be crazy."

The two of them laughed in tune, embracing the silence of the night. Both of them felt like a lot had been cleared up, and even though Callie had hated every moment of it, part of her was slightly happy with what had happened at the party. The outcome had essentially cleared a lot up for both of them, and while Callie was still hesitant, it was clear to both of them that they shared the same feelings. And that really was a blessing.

* * *

 _A/N: Also guys, guess who got a tweet from Jcap last week ;) Anyways! Next up, it's Christmas day! Yay! What have the girls gotten for each other? :)_


	14. Chapter 14

_A/N: Hey guys! This chapter is quite short, but I had a bit of trouble writing it /: The next chapter will be longer, I promise :)_

* * *

 _Chapter 14_

It was Christmas Eve, and as she walked the short journey to Arizona's house, Callie couldn't help but feel slightly nervous. For one thing, she wasn't sure if her and Arizona were buying each other gifts. Sure, she had often exchanged gifts with Addison during the Christmas period, but maybe Arizona would feel differently with the whole thing. She hadn't bought Arizona a present as she intended to get one in return, but she didn't want to make Arizona awkward if the other girl hadn't bought her something. The other thing was what should she get Arizona? They had passed the 'just friends' line, but they weren't girlfriends or anything else for that matter. They were somewhere in between, which made it all the more awkward. What could she buy that fell well into the 'in between category'? Was there anything that could fit into that category?

Callie had decided on something eventually, ordering it a few days ago, and the gift had only arrived early that morning. She had then put the gift in a thin blue square box, along with a white bow. It wasn't overly wrapped, just neatly, and she really hoped that Arizona would appreciate the thought behind the gift.

As Callie rounded the street on which Arizona's house was, she spotted Tim out the front, a shovel in his hand, as he cleared away snow. It had snowed the night before, not too much, but definitely enough to set. Callie wasn't used to the colder weather, especially snow, which was the main reason she had decided to walk to Arizona's house, as opposed to driving, even though men had been out in the early hours of the morning to grit the roads.

Tim raised his head, hearing footsteps approaching, and a large smile broke out on his face when he noticed Callie on her way towards him. It was scary how much Arizona and her brother looked alike. Callie and Aria didn't look too much alike, most people often thinking that Aria was the prettier of the two. Callie had to agree.

"Hey Cal! Enjoying the snow?" Tim asked, Callie stepping onto the drive of Arizona's house. The young man laughed at the slight grimace on Callie's face. It wasn't that she didn't like snow, or the cold, it was more of the fact that she didn't like dressing for the colder weather. Woolly hats and scarfs weren't her thing, and she wouldn't be caught wearing one. Arizona had a blue beanie that she had been wearing in the winter, the hat making her look cute and adorable, but that was just Arizona. Callie wasn't the same.

"Is that for Zona?" Tim asked, his eyes dropping to the package in Callie's hands. Callie's grip immediately tightened on the package, her head nodding. She ran her thumb over the smooth box. "That's a relief. She's only been panicking for the last few days or so." Before Callie could question what Arizona had been panicking about, Tim added, "The doors unlocked, you're free to go inside."

Callie walked up the steps to the door, feeling a little awkward as she raised her hands to push the door open. She knew Tim had said it was fine, but she still felt a little self conscious about just walking into Arizona's home without her knowing. She bit on her lip as the warmth of the house welcomed her. Peering round the door, not fully inside yet, she called out, "Arizona?"

A moment later, the blonde girl appeared at the other end of the hallway, wearing a red onesie, her curls hanging around her shoulders, the top of her head hidden by the hood of her outfit. Arizona's eyes lit up at the sight of Callie, and she moved quickly towards her.

Once she reached Callie, Arizona reached out and pulled Callie inside fully, her other hand reaching behind and closing the front door. The cold air was shut out, Callie immediately feeling much better. The cold air really wasn't her favourite. She took a deep breath, inhaling the pleasant smell of Arizona, which was blended in with what appeared to be cookies. The house smelled like Christmas; that was the only way Callie could possibly describe it.

"What are you doing here?" Arizona asked, her hand still holding onto one of Callie's. Her thumb ran softly over the back of Callie's hand, making the brunette shudder from something other than the cold. "Not that I mind, of course, you are always welcome, but usually you text first."

"I brought round your Christmas present," Callie replied, lifting up the gift in her other hand as evidence, causing Arizona's eyes to skip towards it. Her mouth broke open into a wide smile, and she reached for it, Callie handing it over. Arizona brought it up to her ear, and shook it, a pout forming on her lips when she didn't hear anything, which made Callie chuckle. "You do know you've only got to wait just one day, right?"

"Whatever, Calliope," Arizona mumbled, her eyes still transfixed on the present, as though she was trying to see through the box. After a nudge from Callie, Arizona finally pulled Callie further inside her house, and into the living room, where the family's Christmas tree stood. The smell of fresh pine filled Callie's nostrils, and she sighed in content. There were already many presents under the tree, and Callie smiled at the warm feeling she got from staring at it.

"You have a real Christmas tree," Callie said softly, stepping towards the tree, and running her finger along part of it. Callie and her family never had a real Christmas tree. Instead, they always used the same large fake one every year. Callie had always longed for a real tree. She had always found the idea of a real tree more homey and christmassy, but her parents had never shared her opinion.

"Yeah," Arizona answered, as though it was no big deal. She let go of Callie's hand and dropped down onto her knees, leaning forward, offering Callie a nice view of her butt, and Callie awkwardly averted her eyes. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the sight, it was that she _really_ did appreciate the sight, and she really didn't need _that_ distraction. Arizona placed her present from Callie on top of another larger one, and then began rummaging under the tree, apparently looking for something. After a few moments, she leaned back, a small wrapped up box in one hand. Standing up again, Arizona swung around grinning, offering the present to Callie. "Here you go! Merry Christmas."

Callie raised the present to her ear, preparing to shake it just as Arizona had done, but Arizona's hand shot forward before she could.

"No! You can't shake it. No," Arizona stammered a little nervously, her fingers curling against Callie's, preventing her from moving.

"Why not? You did."

"Just trust me?" Arizona asked weakly, her eyes pleading with Callie. Callie finally gave in, unable to resist the look Arizona was giving her, and placed the small box inside the pocket of her leather jacket.

"Happy?"

"Yes, thank you."

To show her gratitude, Arizona leaned forward, and pressed her lips softly against Callie's. Arizona's lips tasted slightly like hot chocolate and cookie dough, an irresistible combination that made Callie weak at the knees. Her hand reached forward, easing the hood off of Arizona's head so her fingers could tangle in the blonde hair she loved so much. After a few seconds, they both drew back, matching smiles on their faces. It was crazy how just one small kiss with Arizona made Callie's entire day much better. The smile on Arizona's face warmed her insides, especially as she knew that the smile was not only because of her, but for her. She ran her fingers along Arizona's cheek bone in a feather like touch, addicted to the smooth, soft skin there, and Arizona leaned into her hand.

"Where are your parents?" Callie asked quietly, enjoying the closeness. Arizona appeared to be enjoying it too, and stepped closer easing her arms around Callie's waist, pressing her head into the crook of Callie's neck, and humming in approval.

"Last minute Christmas shopping." Arizona's voice came out muffled, her lips brushing against the skin of Callie's neck as she spoke, eliciting goosebumps. "Dad always forgets something."

"Understandable," Callie said, her arms falling to Arizona's waist, her neck subconsciously tilting to the side. She felt Arizona's lips curve into a smile, before they pressed against the tanned skin, the kiss soft and sweet. The kiss marked the first time either of them had kissed each other somewhere else on their body, minus the few cheek or forehead kisses which were completely innocent. The kiss stirred something inside Callie, and she moaned, Arizona taking that as the cue to continue her actions. She placed another gentle kiss in the same spot, before moving her lips up and pressing another kiss in a new spot. With each kiss, her lips inched higher and higher up Callie's neck, Callie's knees feeling weak at the small touches. When Arizona's lips pressed behind her ear, her nose nuzzling into the skin, Callie whimpered, heat burning throughout her body. Arizona chuckled at the reaction, the action sending vibrations throughout Callie's body. Just as Callie felt the soft tip of Arizona's tongue caress the shell of her ear, the sound of the front door being swung open hit the two teenagers.

Arizona jumped back, her cheeks flushing a dark shade of red, and Callie was almost certain her own face matched Arizona's exactly. Tim trudged down the hallway, his hands ripping off his hat as he stepped into the living room. Callie awkwardly avoided the older Robbins' siblings eye, instead finding a thread on her jeans very interesting.

"You staying for dinner, Callie?" Tim asked, seemingly oblivious to the slight tension. However, the wink he shot Arizona when Callie wasn't looking let the blonde know that her brother wasn't stupid.

"No, I can't," Callie answered, allowing herself to finally raise her eyes. She felt immensely guilty when she saw the disheartened look on Arizona's face. "My family and I ate dinner a bit earlier because we have church this evening."

"You're Catholic, right?" Tim asked. He had flopped down onto the sofa, his feet up on the coffee table.

"Right," Callie confirmed, with a slight nod of her head. Her eyes skipped back to Arizona, and she offered a smile. "Walk me to the door?"

Arizona gladly accepted, and the two wandered down the hallway and back to the front door. Callie winced as she pulled open the door, the strong cold air hitting her full force. It was moments like this when she knew hats would come useful, but there was no way she was giving in.

"Call me tomorrow?" Arizona asked, her fingers finding Callie's. Their hands often seemed to drift towards each other's, both of them apparently loving and craving constant contact. Callie tightened the hold, giving a soft squeeze. Her body was still tingling from the moment they had shared just a few minutes ago.

"Of course," Callie replied, a smile growing on her face. She kissed Arizona's lips in a quick peck, wanting a small something for the road. With a final farewell, Callie ventured back out into the colder air.

And while she disliked it, Callie felt that having a colder Christmas somehow made the whole holiday more magical.

* * *

"I can't believe you called me to count down the minutes until Christmas Day. What are you, five?"

"Stop complaining," Arizona retorted, her cell phone pressed against her ear as her hands pulled back the sheets of her bed. Sliding into the fresh sheets, she sighed in content, falling back onto the pillow. Taking the phone in her hands, she caught Callie's reply.

"I'm just saying," came Callie's voice, and Arizona was sure she could hear the roll of Callie's eyes. "You are practically a child."

"Says you!" Arizona huffed, shaking her head. "The girl who called me at midnight on my birthday to sing to me."

If she was in the same room as Callie, Arizona was sure she would have seen the blush radiating off of Callie's cheeks.

"That was different," Callie mumbled after a second. "This isn't a birthday."

"It's Jesus' birthday!" Arizona defended herself, even though she knew that was stupid point. She didn't believe in God, and she knew that Callie knew that. The laugh coming from the other end proved it.

"Oh yeah, says the most Christian girl in the country," Callie shot back, slow chuckles still dropping from her lips. Arizona laughed a little herself, despite her attempts to try and contain them.

"Three minutes," Arizona whispered, breaking the moment of comfortable silence after her eyes darted to the clock on her nightstand. She felt the excitement build in her stomach, the smile on her face growing. She really loved Christmas, adoring the feeling of family and happiness that came with it. However, the realisation that it was her first Christmas without her Grandmother had hit her hard, making her sad, the whole family sharing tears and soft cries earlier that morning, even Arizona's Father, which had struck everyone. It was strange, how things could change so quickly. She had lost her Grandma in the same year she had found Callie. Someone who had comforted her in her time of need when no one else could have gotten through to her. Arizona was very grateful for what Callie had done, remembering the way the other girl had held her in her arms and helped her sleep.

"You still there?" Callie asked, snapping Arizona out of her thoughts.

"Yeah. Why?"

"I replied and then called your name three times," Callie laughed, the sound angelic.

"Oh, sorry," Arizona replied, shaking her head. "I was just thinking about things."

"Care to share?" Callie questioned, not in the patronizing tone her Mother used, but a soft, concerning tone.

"It's fine," Arizona said softly, glancing once again towards the clock. A sudden scream escaped her lips at the clock baring the numbers 00:00. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas," Callie repeated Arizona's words. Arizona smiled, unable to stop her smile. It felt special. The first person who had wished her a Merry Christmas was Callie, and vice versa. It was strange. Before Callie, she had never felt like she was the soft girl who liked romantic cheesy things. She was confident, and not giggly. And while she was still confident, and still very much like herself, she also found that she had changed. It hadn't been a sudden change. She hadn't even realised it. But slowly, it had happened.

"Does this mean I can open your Christmas present now?" Arizona asked, her fingers itching to open the box.

"Nope. You've got to wait until the morning."

"Callie!" Arizona whined, not expecting Callie to say no.

"It's only a few more hours," Callie reminded her, but Arizona huffed.

"Fine. I better get to sleep then so I can wake up and open it."

"Sounds like a good idea," Callie agreed, much to Arizona's disdain.

"You're going to let me go that easy?"

"Goodnight Arizona," Callie said quietly, a yawn following, causing Arizona to feel slightly guilty. "I'll speak to you later."

"Goodnight Calliope."

* * *

When Arizona awoke the next morning, and saw that the clock read 6:40am, the blonde bolted out of bed so fast that she fell over. Wincing at the slight pain that spread through her head, Arizona stood up and slowed her movements. All she wanted to do was reach the living room as soon as possible, and find out just what Callie had gotten her. She hadn't been expecting anything from Callie, not really. She had bought Callie a gift, yes, but that didn't mean she expected one in return.

Arizona had bought Callie a small crystal Dolphin. She had seen it in a jewelers while out shopping with her Mother a few weeks previously, and had known straight away that she wanted to buy it for Callie. It had been a reasonable price, something she could just about afford, but she hoped that the meaning behind the gift would make it worth it. Callie had said a few times how she missed Miami, and had talked about her love of Dolphins, so Arizona thought it was a nice idea. She really hoped Callie liked it, and the thought made her slightly nervous.

When she reached the living room, she saw her parents and Tim already sitting on the sofas. Her parents were each nursing a cup of coffee, while Tim was staring intently at the Christmas tree. His gaze was so hard Arizona was surprised it hadn't already burst into flames, as it seemed as though that was what Tim was trying to do.

"How long have you all been up?" Arizona asked, causing all three sets of blue eyes to drift towards her. Her somewhat loud voice in the almost silent household made Tim jump, and he cursed quietly under his breath, although not quietly enough it seemed, as he earned a sharp look from Barbara.

"Jeez Zona," Tim mumbled, running a hand through his hair and sending his younger sister a sharp look. "You can't just startle us like that."

Ignoring her brother's words, Arizona hummed happily, and walked towards the Christmas tree, falling to the floor and drawing her knees up to her chin. Her eyes skimmed the decorated tree as they had done for many days at a time. "Merry Christmas," she said softly, her heart warming. She really did love the holiday season.

"Merry Christmas, dear," Barbara said with a smile, placing her mug down. After a quick glance to Daniel, he did the same thing.

"Now that sleeping beauty is up can we finally open the presents?" Tim asked, his tone clearly pleading with his parents. Daniel grumbled in response, elicting a glee from the two siblings, who immediately dove under the tree, retracting presents and separating them into piles for each person. It didn't take very long to sort out, with Tim and Arizona acting like two overgrown children, and soon all of them had a reasonable size stash of presents before them. Arizona had purposely put Callie's at the bottom, wanting to save the gift from the other girl until last. As per tradition, the family would take turns to open one present in a circle, Arizona starting first as she was the youngest.

For the next 20 minutes or so, wrapping paper was discarded and thrown around the carpet of the usually tidy house. Arizona had unwrapped gifts from her parents, and her brother, as well as some from Teddy and some of the other girls on the cheer team. She had scoffed loudly at the _'How to get a girl in 10 easy steps'_ book Tim had bought for her, shoving it back at him and saying that he needed it more than she did. She had to bite her tongue to stop herself from mentioning Callie, knowing that would pique her parents interest and that it would make Tim feel smug.

Her Mother had made both her and Tim one of her famous hot chocolates, a Christmas tradition in the Robbins' household, which Arizona greedily slurped on as she watched her Father open his last present, a signature fountain pen that wrote in green ink.

"Is that all of them?" Barbara asked, her eyes peering around the room, wondering if there were any presents left. Tim, Barbara and Daniel had all finished with theirs. Arizona, however, had one gift left, that one being from Callie. She felt somewhat nervous about opening it. Of course she was excited, eager to see what the brunette had bought her, but it was in a mix with nerves.

"Zona has one left," Tim declared, having remembered seeing Callie give Arizona the powder blue box. "From Callie."

Rolling her eyes at her brothers constant nosiness, Arizona bit her lip as her fingers skimmed over the box. Taking a breath, she gently pulled the white ribbon, letting it fall into her lap. Her fingers reached the brim of the box, and she pulled the lid of, tossing it gently to the side.

Uncovering the sheet of snow white tissue paper, a gasp left Arizona's mouth as she stared down at the gift present in her lap. She shook her head, not believing _that_ was actually sitting in the box before her. But it _was._ Her fingers reached down, and gently lifted the gift out of the box, her eyes growing wider.

"Is that-?" Tim questioned, but was cut off by Arizona.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"An actual record. Of The Way You Make Me Feel by Michael Jackson. It's authentic? Like, actually real?"

Arizona just nodded, her fingers sliding over the title words of the record. The casing of the record was clearly old, the colours fading and disappearing. Peeking inside, her breath caught in her throat as she saw the large record laying inside. Of course she wouldn't be playing the record, but the memory of dancing with Callie to that very song as Homecoming made Arizona's day. The record was probably of a collectors edition, and she was shocked that Callie had been able to find it for her. Tears slowly began to gather in her eyes as she smiled, a choked laugh dropping from her lips.

Hearing her Mother say something, Arizona handed the record off to Barbara so she could inspect it. Her eyes fell back to the box, seeing a small piece of paper that appeared to have been torn out of a notebook. Picking it up, Arizona read the words in Callie's delicate script.

 _Dear Arizona,_

 _Merry Christmas! I hope you have a great day with your family, and that the new year brings you love and happiness. I hope that you like your gift, and that it reminds you off our first dance at homecoming. I still can't believe you could do the moonwalk in heels, that takes some serious skill! Anyway, I don't want to ramble too much. I just hope you like it._

 _Love Callie x_

Wiping away the tear that had dropped onto the paper before it could smudge, Arizona's watery smile grew wide. She hoped Callie was right and that the new year would bring her love and happiness. Love and happiness with Callie.

* * *

 _A/N: I hope you enjoyed it :) Next up: Bailey tries to convince Arizona to apply for Harvard, and Callie plays in her first basketball game._


	15. Chapter 15

_A/N: Hey guys! I hope you've all had a few good weeks :) Sorry this update has taken so long, but my laptop has been playing up :/ Anyway, I hope you enjoy :)_

* * *

 _Chapter 15_

"I'm going to suck."

"You made the team, I highly doubt that," Addison replied, and even though Callie couldn't see her, she could hear the roll of her eyes in her tone. It was a few weeks since Christmas day and new years, and it was the day of Callie's first basketball game for her school team. She had arrived home about an hour or so ago, and had to be at the school again in around two hours for the game to begin. She had felt fine about the upcoming game. She had been incredibly excited. That was until Addison had called her to say good luck, and suddenly Callie found herself breaking down on the phone to her best friend, nerves fully taking control of the situation.

"I mean it! What if I fall, or what if I get the ball and completely miss the shot, or what if I freeze and stand there and don't do anything? Then what do I do? Then what happens?"

"Then you'll be on the phone to me again later crying, no doubt," Addison chuckled down the phone, however the thought just made Callie's eyes widen. Hearing the heavy breathing of her friend, Addison quickly jumped back in. "Look, Cal, you're going to be fine. It's normal to feel nervous."

"I can't do it, I really can't."

"How about you text Arizona and ask her to come over?" The redhead suggested. "I'm sure she can help you out in a way that I can't."

"Addison!" Callie yelped, her cheeks burning as the thought of Arizona _helping_ her provided her mind with images she wasn't prepared for.

"Oh, cut it," Addison laughed. "I wasn't talking about _that."_ Despite her words, her tone suggested the exact opposite. "I'm just saying that she can be there for you and see you and actually hug you whereas I can't. She can calm you down much better than I can Cal."

"I don't want to bother her," Callie mumbled quietly. Truthfully, she knew that Addison was right and Arizona could help her better than anyone. With that in mind, she didn't want to be too clingy, or depend on the other girl too much. Arizona was already being exceptionally supportive about Callie dealing with the whole 'liking girls' thing, she didn't want to add anything else to it.

"You'd never bother her," Addison said, invading Callie's thoughts. "Just text her."

"Maybe," Callie sighed, chewing her bottom lip. "But I'm serious Addi! What if I do illegal moves, or if I accidentally throw the ball to someone in the other team, or if I-"

The sound of the phone cutting off startled Callie, and she frowned, pulling her cell away from her ear to see that Addison had hung up on her. Frowning down at the phone, she watched as the screen lit up, indicating a new message from her friend.

 _Text her! And good luck Cal, you'll do great. -Addison_

Finally working up the courage to do exactly what Addison had been pestering her about, Callie flicked through her phone to Arizona's contact. Smiling at the picture she had for Arizona, one of them close together on Arizona's bowling party, she shot the blonde a quick text inviting her over. Throwing her phone onto the pillow behind her, Callie nervously bit on her lip, trying to calm herself. Her eyes caught sight of multicoloured light dancing on the bedroom wall in front of her, and after smiling a little at the rainbow, she turned her head to see where it was coming from. Her eyes located the small, crystal dolphin that Arizona had bought her for Christmas. The light from her bedroom window was beaming onto the ornate sea creature, making multicoloured spirals reflect around the room. Sitting back on her bed, Callie reached out and picked the dolphin up from its spot on her bedside table. Running a delicate finger over the fin, a memory from a few weeks ago found it's way into her brain.

 _"And that, over there, is the constellation Delphinus," Arizona told her, her voice light and soft as she pointed up at the night sky before them with her left hand.. The two of them laid close together on the blanket Arizona had brought from her truck, Callie's left hand grasped in Arizona's right. The blonde's delicate fingers was softly drawing patterns over Callie's hand as she spoke. While Arizona was staring intently at the stars, Callie found herself unable to look away from the girl lying so close to her. She could make out the few scattered freckles on Arizona's face, a small, barely there scar on her cheek. It was amazing being able to be this close to Arizona and simply take in her beauty. Arizona had been talking for a while, staying true to her word when she said she knew the constellations._

 _"Are you actually going to look at what I'm pointing out to you, or are you just going to keep staring at me?" Arizona teased, her eyes not moving away from the sky. Callie felt herself blush at being caught, and turned her head up to look where Arizona was pointing._

 _"What did you say you were pointing out?" Callie questioned. It really was such a clear night, and the stars lit up the sky amazingly._

 _"Delphinus," Arizona chuckled. Registering that Arizona had said the Latin word for Dolphin, her favourite animal, Callie started quickly looking around the sky for any shape that resembled a dolphin. Seeing that Callie was having no such luck, Arizona pushed herself up on her elbow, and used her left hand to guide Callie's chin in the direction the constellation was. The light touch sent goosebumps down Callie's body. "You see them three stars just over there? And another just a little further down?" Seeing Callie nod, Arizona confirmed, "That's Delphinus."_

 _Opening her mouth in awe, Callie stared helplessly up at what was now her new favourite constellation._

 _"There's some interesting Greek mythology behind it," Arizona said quietly after a moment, as she settled back down onto the blanket. She nuzzled her body closer into Callie, grasping at her warmth._

 _"What is it?"_

 _"The Greek God, Poseidon," Arizona started lightly. "Fell in love and wanted to marry Amphitrite, a beautiful nereid. But she didn't want to marry him, and in an attempt to protect her virginity, she fled to the Atlas mountains. Poseidon didn't give up, and sent out searchers to find her. One of the searchers was called Delphinus, and when he found Amphitrite, he was able to persuade her to accept Poseidon's hand. To say thank you for his efforts, Poseidon placed an image of a dolphin among the stars."_

 _"How do you know that?" Callie asked quietly, Arizona having taken her by surprise._

 _"I like the stars, I find them interesting. It's amazing how everyone all over the world looks up at the same stars. They're a source of light, literally and metaphorically." Sensing Callie's eyes on her, Arizona glanced towards Callie, seeing a look of adoration on her face. "What?"_

 _Callie just shook her head, leaning up on her elbow. Staring down at the blonde lying on the ground before her, Callie's smile grew wide, and she couldn't help but moving to press her lips against the other girls._

The sound of the doorbell going made Callie jump out of her memory. Knowing that her Mother was downstairs, and able to let Arizona in, Callie placed the dolphin back on her bedside table before moving to sit on the edge of her bed. Within a few seconds, she heard the delicate knock on her door that she associated with Arizona. Calling out a quick 'come in!' she watched as the door swung open. Arizona's jean and sweater covered body came into view, the top of her blonde head hidden beneath her blue beanie. Her eyes met Callie's instantly, a light twinkle appearing in the sea of blue, and Callie felt her heart race for a reason completely different to the nerves about the game. Addison was right that Arizona could make her feel better. One glance at her lab partner and Callie felt as though she was on top of the world. Arizona shot her a smile, her dimples popping in her cheeks, making Callie's heart flutter. It was as she noticed the red and white stripes painted on Arizona's cheeks, the home colours of their school, that she remembered the reason for inviting Arizona over.

Her palms began to sweat again, and her face must have showed her discomfort and overwhelming nerves as Arizona's smile quickly dropped. Rushing forward, Arizona shut the bedroom door and reached Callie quickly, dropping to her knees in-front of where Callie was perched on her bed. Callie's eyes squeezed shut, and her fists clenched. She took a deep shuddering breath.

"Calliope? Calliope, are you okay?" Arizona asked her gently. Arizona's hands reached up to cradle Callie's face, her soft fingers brushing the tanned skin of Callie's cheeks. Callie just shook her head, trying to focus on the feeling of Arizona's hands caressing her face, but the fear was taking a hold of her. "Calliope? Baby, if you don't open your eyes and talk to me I can't help you."

Hearing the word 'baby' drop from Arizona's lips, Callie raised her head slightly, and allowed her eyes to open. She was met with Arizona staring up at her, her forehead crinkled in concern, and her eyes full of worry. Her hands continued to lightly stroke Callie's face.

"The game," Callie finally got out, biting her lip hard. "I'm going to suck so much, I can't do it, I can't play, I was stupid to think that I could and-"

"Ssshh," Arizona breathed, leaning forward so that her forehead came into contact with Callie's.

"But-"

"No buts," Arizona told her, her voice somewhat stern, despite being hushed. "You're an amazing player Callie, everyone knows it and everyone can see it. You're a natural on that court. When you play, it's like you and the ball are one. Even Cristina has said that, and she rarely compliments anyone, you know how she is. You're going to get on that court and it's going to be exactly how it's been during training. Don't think about the people around you watching. Just focus on the ball, and on the hoop. Just do what you do best. You have got this. And if you need anymore encouragement, look up into the stands and find me, and I will be cheering you on louder than anyone in that room. You're going to smash this game, Calliope."

"You think so?" Callie asked quietly. Her nerves had settled somewhat due to Arizona's words and the physical contact. Their eyes bore into each others.

"I know so," Arizona replied, letting her lips curl into a small smile. Pulling back, Arizona leaned up and pressed her lips against Callie's forehead. Setting back on the floor, Arizona spoke again. "You okay?"

"Mhmm," Callie hummed, her fingers coming up and easing the beanie off of Arizona's head. Her fingers slid through the blonde locks, reveling in the soft hair that smelled sweet like apples. Dropping her fingers to the base of Arizona's neck, she eased her forward and claimed her lips in a tender kiss. They kissed lightly, in gentle touches, until they broke apart in need of air. Arizona's eyes were still shut, and the adorable sight of the out of breath girl almost made Callie chuckle. As she stared at Arizona, a thought entered her brain. "You called me baby."

Arizona's eyes snapped open. "What?"

"You called me baby," Callie repeated. She watched as Arizona's cheeks turned to match the shade her own had been only minutes before.

"I- I didn't- it just came out," Arizona stuttered, her eyes suddenly refusing to meet Callie's.

"I liked it," Callie reassured her. It was true.

"You did?"

"I did."

Finally grasping contact with Arizona's eyes again, Callie let our a breath. Her nerves were still bubbling in her stomach, but having Arizona close with her, and talking her down truly helped her. Pulling Arizona close to her, she once again brought their lips together in a kiss.

* * *

Arizona's eyes were fixed on the number 26 jersey like they had been throughout most of the game. The match was almost over, with the home team and away team neck and neck with the same number of points. It had been a tough game, with the away team leading for a large half of the game, until Cristina and Callie appeared to have thought up a new play during the break and had brought their score back up. At the start of the game, it was clear that Callie's nerves had consumed her, as she had stood still for almost two minutes. In an attempt to catch the brunette's attention, Arizona had shouted loudly, and quite randomly, 'The Dolphins suck!' which of course had earned her a lot of weird looks. However, Callie had turned towards her almost immediately, catching the grin Arizona sent her way. After that, Callie had proceeded to play, getting lost in the game, which Arizona knew she would.

"How long left?" Teddy aksed Arizona, in between cheers for the home team.

Arizona rolled her eyes, but bit her tongue to stop herself from snapping and telling Teddy to read the clock herself. "About a minute and 20 seconds."

Turning her attention back to the court, she cheered as Meredith intercepted the ball, and shot towards their end of the court. Bouncing the ball as she made it to the hoop, she went to shoot, but a player on the other team gained the ball from her before she had a chance. Her cheers turned to groans, and Arizona folded her arms across her chest. Looking towards the timer, she noticed there was only 50 seconds left, and in order to win the game, someone on their team needed to score quickly.

As the player in possession with the ball sauntered up towards the hoop, Arizona smirked as she realised Cristina was in their way. Knowing that no one got past Cristina (unless your name was Calliope Torres), Arizona felt incredibly confident. Just as she had thought, as the player moved to go past Cristina, the skilled player easily took possession, and ran towards her end of the court. Callie was waiting near the hoop of the court, being blocked by a player, and was making no attempt to move, something which made Arizona frown. However, as she saw Cristina throw the ball into a space where no one was standing, Arizona quickly understood. Callie shot out from her position, jumping and easily catching the ball. With less than 10 seconds remaining on the clock, everyone fell silent as Callie inched closer to the hoop. Bringing her hand up, and biting on the corner of her thumb nail, Arizona watched as the ball flew from Callie's finger tips.

Hitting the board, the ball dropped through the hoop, scoring the home team points, and a second later the buzzer sounded, signalling the end of the game. Everyone in the stands erupted into cheers, Arizona certain that her shouts were louder than anyone else. She watched with pride as Callie was tackled by her team mates, even getting hugged by Cristina. As people from the stands began to move onto the court to celebrate with their friends, Arizona eagerly shot down from where she had been sitting, keen to throw her arms around Callie and tell her exactly how proud of her she was.

As she reached the court, Arizona raced to where the teammates were huddled. However, as she grew closer, her heart stopped as she watched Mark Sloan reach Callie first, and pick her up, swinging her around. Arizona listened as she heard Callie squeal at the movement. Since when did Callie squeal? Trying to hide her raging jealousy, Arizona inched forward, watching Mark set Callie back down onto the floor.

"Party at my house, Torres! Gotta celebrate this awesome win, especially with our star player! You in?" Mark proclaimed, wrapping an arm around Callie's shoulders.

"Of course she's in," Meredith cut in, joining the pair. The darker blonde girl pulled Callie out of Mark's arms and into her own, giving her another celebratory hug. Arizona watched as Mark moved towards Cristina, seemingly inviting her to his party as well.

"Good game, you did great," Arizona said, sending Callie a smile as she finally grasped the brunette's attention. Callie grinned in response, letting out a breath. Her body was slick with sweat, her cheeks flushed, and Arizona gulped at the realisation of just how sexy she looked.

Callie launched into Arizona's arms, holding her against her body, which didn't help the burn in Arizona's stomach.

"You going to come to the party?" Callie asked, as she pulled out of the embrace.

Arizona tried to hide her frown at the mention of it. She really didn't feel like going to another one of Mark's parties, especially if she was going to have to watch him and every other guy seemingly fawn over Callie. "I don't think so."

Callie's smile dropped at Arizona's answer, but whatever she had been about to say never made it to Arizona's ears as the Coach came up and wrapped her arm around Callie, evidently steering her away. Unable to hide her disappointment, Arizona sighed and made her way to leave.

45 minutes later, Arizona was at home, laying on the sofa in her checkered long pyjama pants, and a plain white t-shirt that she often used to sleep in. Her parents were seated on the other couch, her Mother reading while her Father was completing Sudoku. Arizona had to admit, she felt slightly guilty at bailing on Callie when she asked if she was going to come to the party. But the other half of her was certain that Callie would be having a good time without her being present anyway. Mark Sloan would definitely make sure that was the case. Scowling, Arizona pulled a pillow over her face. She knew she was being stupid. Mark liked Lexie Grey a lot, and she believed Callie when she said that she liked her. But seeing Mark pick her up and celebrate with her infuriated Arizona because she couldn't do something like that. She couldn't race onto the court and celebrate with Callie in the way she wanted to. She couldn't jump on her and kiss her. It wasn't Mark's fault, not at all, but he added to her anger. He was just a reminder of everything she couldn't do. It wasn't fair to take it out on Callie though, Arizona was aware of that. She knew she'd have to text her tomorrow and apologise.

A knock on the door echoed through the room, and Arizona grimaced. Flinging the pillow onto the floor, she made to get up. Hissing as her bare feet met the cold wooden floor of the doorway, she lumbered towards the front door, pulling it open with little effort.

Callie was before her, dressed in a pair of comfortable sweat pants, and her Dolphins hoodie (that Arizona had reluctantly given back) drawn up to her chin. Her hair was still damp from a shower she had taken after the game. In her left arm was a bag of what appeared to be chinese food, and in her right arm was a bag of popcorn. Balancing on her right knee, her fingers were attempting to steady a pizza box.

Arizona immediately reached out for the pizza box, making it easier for Callie to stand, and Callie breathed out a quick, 'Thanks.'

"What are you doing here?" Arizona wondered out loud. The cold air from outside made her shiver, and she stepped to the side allowing Callie to enter so she could close the front door. "I thought you were going to Mark's party to celebrate?"

"I thought me and you could celebrate here instead with a netflix night," Callie answered. "And I got chinese food and pizza because I know you can never decide which is your favourite, and this way we can celebrate by having both."

"But what about the party?" The idea of a night in watching movies and tv shows with Callie, featuring her favourite foods, sounded more than okay to Arizona, but she didn't want to stop Callie from partying if she wanted to.

"I don't really like parties," Callie shrugged. "If you were going, I would have, but that's only because I want to celebrate with you. Whether that's at a party, or here, watching netflix and stuffing our faces with takeout."

Arizona bit her lip shyly at Callie's admission of wanting to celebrate with her. Truth be told, the words meant a lot to her. Learning that Callie wanted to be with her instead of a night dancing and drinking with everybody else made her heart soar.

Walking into the living room, Callie close behind, Arizona smelled the pizza, her mouth watering. Her Mother looked up at the movement, her eyes falling onto Callie trailing behind Arizona.

"Callie, dear! How nice to see you! Zona told us you won the game, that's amazing!"

"Thank you," Callie said with a blush, bowing her head.

"Is it okay if we watch netflix down in the basement?" Arizona asked, hoping that her parents would agree without protest. She knew that with Callie standing with her, their answer was probably going to be influenced to a yes.

"Sure, just be careful to not spill anything," Daniel instructed, smiling a little towards Callie, and then finding Arizona's eyes and sending her a subtle wink when Callie looked away.

Needing to get out of her parents presence before they proceeded to embarrass her, Arizona began walking through towards the stairs leading to the basement. Looking over her shoulder, she sighed in relief when she saw that Callie was following her. They walked down the steps to the basement in a comfortable silence, and then moved in the direction of the old comfortable couch, and big tv that sat opposite it. Arizona placed the pizza box on the small coffee table, Callie putting the chinese food down beside it. They both dropped down onto the sofa, sitting fairly close together.

Arizona reached over Callie's body to grab the tv remote, and as she was leaning back, Callie grabbed a hold of her neck, and pulled her down. Their lips met in a hot kiss, Callie's tongue immediately seeking entry into Arizona's mouth. The dance their tongues engaged in made Arizona moan against Callie's lips. The kiss was eager and fiery, her hands slipping to Callie's neck to keep her locked in place. Callie's hands fell to Arizona's hips, effectively pulling the smaller girl into her lap. The remote dropped to the side of the couch. Callie's hands began to roam over Arizona's hips, squeezing her waist. Arizona moved her head to the side, Callie's bottom lip coming between both of her own, and she nipped it with her teeth, before gently soothing the sore area with her tongue.

When they both were in need for air, Arizona moved her lips to Callie's jawline, placing open mouthed kisses along every inch of tanned skin. The heavy panting coming from Callie's lips spurred her on, and her lips trailed to meet the brunette's neck. A whimper met her ears as she kissed the spot on Callie's neck just behind her ear, and Arizona adored the fact that it was she who was making Callie make those noises. Callie's hands fisted her t-shirt in her hands in an attempt to issue some self control, but the moment Arizona moved her hips forward, meeting those of the darker haired girl, Callie lost hold on the shirt and let out a growl. The action caused her hands to drop onto the bare, pale skin of Arizona's toned stomach, where her shirt had ridden up during their movements. The touch reminded Arizona of the moment in Callie's kitchen when Callie had tickled her, except this time Callie's fingers moved with ease as oppose to freezing up. Arizona moved her lips back up to Callie's, engaging in another searing kiss. However, when the light touches of Callie's soft fingertips brushed the side of Arizona's ribs, the action caused the blonde to erupt into giggles into Callie's mouth.

The sound of laughter seemed to draw the two back to reality, and Arizona pulled her head away from Callie's in order to look her in the eye. The brown eyes she adored had grown close to black, and the sight made her gulp. They stared at each other intently for a moment, until Callie moved her hand again, causing Arizona to squirm and laugh.

"You're really ticklish," Callie mused, arching an eyebrow, withdrawing her hands from Arizona's stomach. Arizona shrugged, her breathing rate returning to normal.

Shifting off of Callie, and back next to her, where she had been sitting before, she dropped her head onto Callie's shoulder as her hand found the tv remote again.

"Friends marathon?" Arizona asked.

"You know it."

Callie's hand dropped onto Arizona's inner thigh, relighting the fire in her stomach. Biting her lip, Arizona squinted hard to concentrate on the tv, and not how much she wanted to jump Callie again there and then. A light squeeze on her thigh made her let out a deep breath. Yes, it was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Miss Robbins, may I have a word?"

Looking to Callie who stared at her questionably, Arizona shrugged in response. It wasn't the first time Bailey had asked her to stay behind, but usually both her and Callie were requested as they were lab partners. Callie indicated that she would wait outside with a simple nod of her head towards the door, and Arizona smiled in appreciation.

Once Callie had left, Arizona turned to face her teacher who was sat at her desk, reading over a few papers. Feeling a little nervous, and fearing she had maybe done something incredibly wrong in a recent exam, Arizona stepped forward towards Bailey and waited to be spoken too.

"I really think you should go in for Harvard, Arizona," Bailey said a few minutes later.

Arizona blinked in response. Bailey had mentioned Harvard countless times to her parents over the course of the past year, but she had never directly spoken with Arizona about it. Arizona just assumed that Bailey had given up after her parents had tried constantly for her to apply.

"But.. It's too late now, anyway," Arizona said eventually, and then paused before adding. "I doubt I could get in anyway."

"It's never too late for a student as intelligent as you," Bailey answered, her eyes still transfixed on the page before her.

"I'm not very intelligent!" Arizona argued, and she inwardly laughed at herself; who would have thought she would have been arguing for why she _wasn't_ clever? "Once, I said that gametes have 46 chromosomes, I mean, would an intelligent person think that?" The memory of the study session at Callie's house nearing the beginning of their friendship made Arizona crack a smile.

Bailey's eyes stopped scanning what was on her desk, and she slowly raised her head. Looking at Arizona for a moment, she sighed, stacking her papers into a neat pile.

"I'm telling you you're intelligent enough, and I don't say that to just anyone, Robbins. You will kick yourself if you don't apply. Trust me, I know. There's no harm in trying."

Arizona folded her arms across her chest, deep in thought. She knew Bailey was right. There really was no harm in trying. But could she really face everyone knowing she was applying, and getting their hopes up, if she then got rejected? She knew she was going to be rejected, of course she was. Why would Harvard want her? She wasn't good enough, was she? After a few moments of weighing up the options, Arizona finally felt herself cave.

"Don't tell anyone I'm applying," Arizona instructed.

A rare smile made it's way onto Bailey's face. "Does this mean you're going to apply?"

"Yeah, I guess it does."

With that, Arizona spun on her heels and walked towards the doorway. As she pulled the door open, she heard Bailey call out after her, "Thank me in ten years."

* * *

 _A/N: So Arizona is applying for Harvard but no one is going to know? oooh. Next up: With her parents away, and Arizona in a poor mood, Callie invites Arizona round to her house for a dinner date. But does it all go to plan?_


	16. Chapter 16

_A/N: sorry for the long wait! Life has been insane for me but I really hope you're all still here with me. Enjoy this chapter if you are!_

* * *

 _Chapter 16_

Callie hummed as she walked down the hallway with a slight spring in her step. It was Friday afternoon, she had only one class left of that day, and her parents had gone away that morning for a quick, romantic getaway, and weren't due back until Monday morning. Callie loved her parents, truly she did, but she was looking forward to having the house to herself for a change. She always felt as though she had to be on her best behavior when around her parents, which was frustrating when she wanted to put her feet up and relax in her own home; that was mainly the reason she spent so much time in her room when she was home. Callie preferred being over at Arizona's house, where she felt she could be more like herself. Of course, Arizona being there just made everything better as she found herself often craving the smaller girl's company. She was thinking about perhaps inviting Arizona round to her house that night, as Arizona rarely came to her house and it would be a nice change.

Not to mention that Arizona hadn't been having the best day, something Callie had picked up on, and she hoped she could improve the other girl's mood. Arizona's Father had been called away for a month overseas, to oversee something or other, and it had taken a toll on her. Callie couldn't even begin to understand how hard it must be for both Arizona and Barbara with the men in their family being away doing who knows what, especially when it was probably dangerous. She was really keen on getting Arizona to smile that beautiful smile, and she wasn't going to rest until those dimples popped.

Rounding a corner, Callie's eyes lit up as she saw the object of her affections standing at her locker, getting the books she needed for her last class. Speeding up slightly, Callie found herself standing behind Arizona in seconds, her smile growing wide.

"Hey," Callie said, refraining from reaching out and hugging Arizona, no matter how bad she wanted to.

Arizona closed her locker, and then turned around, her blue eyes growing warm as she took in the sight of Callie before her. The corners of her lips drew upwards, not enough to cause her dimples to pop, but that was enough for Callie. Arizona reached forward, her hands going towards Callie's, and for a moment, Callie thought that was it, that Arizona was going to hold her hand in public, and the idea made her giddy. But Arizona must have realised what she was doing, and she suddenly dropped her hands, and began swinging her arms awkwardly, a light blush decorating her cheeks.

"Hey," Arizona replied softly. "How are you?"

"I'm good, how are you?"

"I'm.. I'm okay," Arizona said, with a gentle nod of her head. It was clear to Callie that that meant she wasn't.

"I had something I wanted to ask you actually," Callie said after a moment, nerves suddenly flooding her stomach. She had felt so calm and collected, why was she now feeling so nervous? Her and Arizona had spent time together more than once, she knew that. She didn't need to be this nervous.

"What is it?" Arizona asked, her eyes filling with slight concern at the sight of Callie. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything's fine," Callie breathed, internally rolling her eyes at herself. "I was just wondering if maybe.. you wanted to come round for dinner tonight? To my house? My parents are away and I thought it would be nice. Like I could.. I could make us dinner? If you wanted to of course, you don't have to, I just thought maybe you'd like to but-"

"Callie, breathe," Arizona interrupted, a ghost of a smile teasing her lips. "I'd love to come over tonight. Really."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Both girls stood there smiling at each other, grinning like idiots. Callie fought the urge to run her finger down Arizona's cheek, but she felt desperate to touch the other girl's soft skin. It seemed like it had been years since she had felt the smooth, pale skin of Arizona's hands or cheeks, or arms, or anything really, and she really, _really_ wanted to. If she was being honest, a large part of her wanted to touch _more._ She thought back to a week ago, when she had been in Arizona's basement, with Arizona straddeling her, and how her fingertips had slipped onto Arizona's toned stomach. She wanted to feel the blonde's abs, she wanted to trace over her ribs, and the side of her waist, she wanted to inch higher, up to Arizona's breasts and-

The bell sounded, shocking Callie out of her thoughts. She couldn't ignore the fire burning in her stomach, and she shifted her legs uncomfortably, hoping that her cheeks weren't firey red, even though she knew thet probably wear. Arizona's own face had turned a subtle shade of pink, leading to Callie thinking that maybe she wasn't the only one having less than appropriate thoughts.

* * *

"Are you sure?" Arizona asked, for what seemed like the hundredth time, as she stood paused at the front door. She was wearing dark washed blue skinny jeans, that hugged her toned legs perfectly, if she did say so herself, with a white, dressy but casual shirt, that had a slightly plunging neckline, that was hidden beneath her coat. Her hair was hanging down, in its natural curls, as she knew Callie loved her hair naturally, and she had applied a small amount of makeup to her face. She had spent a good twenty minutes debating over whether or not to wear perfume, and if so, _what perfume,_ but had eventually decided on a simple rose smelling scent.

Callie had text her after school asking if she could get to hers for around 7pm, which had given Arizona a long period of time to figure out exactly what to wear. Which was good, but also bad, as she had changed her outfit approxamitely 5 times, before settling on the first outfit she had tried on. However, despite her excitement at the thought of spending an even in with Callie, who was making her _dinner,_ she couldn't help the guilt that was building up in her stomach at the thought of leaving her mother alone for most of the night. Which had led her to asking Barbara many times if it was okay for her to go.

"Arizona, sweetheart," Barbara said, walking up to her, with her arms folded. "Go. Have a nice date with Callie. I have Tom here to keep me company." As if on cue, the grey cat in question started to descend down the stairs.

"It's not a date," Arizona mumbled, but the look on Barbara's face told her she wasn't convincing anyone. If she was being honest, she didn't even know if it was a date or not, so she wasn't really lying. She hadn't told her mother anything about her and Callie, but she _knew_ her mother had a very good idea.

"I'll see you later tonight," Barbara said, reaching around Arizona to open the door, ignoring Arizona's comment completely. Arizona felt herself be pushed outside, and before she could even say another word, the door was closed behind her. Frowning, and pulling the sleeves of her jacket over her hands, and walked over to her truck, and unlocked it, stepping inside.

Firing the engine up, Arizona bit her lip nervously as she started the short drive to Callie's house. She knew she didn't need to be nervous, it was only Callie. Beautiful, sweet, amazing Calliope. Who she saw near enough everyday. She didn't need to be nervous, not one bit, so why was she?

As soon as Callie opened her front door, the nerves Arizona had been feeling disappated. Just a simple smile from the gorgeous brunette calmed her down, which was odd, as she was the very reason for her nerves. Arizona's eyes flickered along Callie's body, taking in her black jeans and deep burgundy shirt, which definitely offered up a nice view. She managed to get her eyes back up to Callie's face, noticing the knowing smirk on Callie's mouth, but she simply shrugged in response.

"Come on in," Callie greeted, stepping out of the way and allowing Arizona inside. Even though she had been in Callie's house a few times, Arizona still couldn't believe the beauty of it, and found her eyes drifting around the large room before her. Feeling a small tug on her fingers, she let Callie lead her to the kitchen, and as they got closer, a delicious scent filled her nostrils, which immediately made her mouth water. Entering the darkened room, Arizona's eyes widended at the set out before her.

The lights were off, the only light coming from three, small, decorated chinese lanterns in the middle of the breakfast bar. Rose petals were scattered around them, the deep red looking beautiful in the dimming light. Two plates were sat in front of the lanterns, each filled with what looked like some kind of rissoto. Gentle music flowed through the air, tickling Arizona's ears, the soft beat making her sway softly in time.

She glanced at Callie, who was looking at her expectantly, waiting for her reaction.

"This is.. This is beautiful, Calliope," she breathed out sincerely, her eyes darting back to the small set up.

"I just.. I didn't want to set up in the dining room, that's far too big for just us two, and I thought I could make it seem more romantic in here, and I know it's not incredible, but it's okay, well I thought it was and-"

Arizona leaned up on her tiptoes, pressing her lips softly against those of the rambling basketball player, cutting her off mid sentence. She felt Callie relax, her body detensing, her own lips moving softly in rhythm with Arizona's. Pulling back, gently rubbing their noses together, Arizona whisepered, "It's perfect."

Seemingly happy with Arizona's response, Callie leaned out of the embrace, but kept her hold on Arizona's hand, and walked her over to one of the stools. Helping her up, Callie then dropped into her own seat, her fingers immediately picking up the silver cutlery.

"Rissoto is okay, right? It's just chicken and mushroom," Callie inquired, looking to Arizona for confirmation.

"Sounds great," Arizona answered truthfully, her mouth already watering at the sight of the food before her. Callie was an amazing cook, something Arizona knew, and she was desperate to try whatever she had cooked. Taking a mouthful of the food, Arizona moaned in apprecation. Once again, Callie's food had blown her away and she definitely wasn't complaining about that. It seemed as though Callie really was anyone's dream woman. She was smart, sporty, a good cook, kind, and hot as hell. Arizona really did think she was lucky as hell to have her as her girlfriend.

The thought suddenly made her stop, a crinkle arising on her forehead, and her hand stilled. Callie _wasn't_ her girlfriend. They hadn't even had a real date, so really Callie wasn't close to being her girlfriend. Not even slightly, was she? It had been easier with Joanne because she was not only out as gay, but also very comfortable in who she was and had outright asked Arizona on a date, and had then outright asked her to be her girlfriend. It was so simple. Callie was different. She was confident in some aspects yes, but her sexuality didn't appear to be one of those things. Callie had told her after their kiss that she simply wanted to remain friends who made out occasionally, and Arizona had jumped at that. But that was all they were. Of course, they have both voiced how they felt. Mark's Christmas party had engaged that conversation. So she knew that Callie liked her, and Callie knew she liked her back. But nothing, _nothing,_ had happened since then. Nobody, except Tim, actually knew anything about the two. Not even Teddy. Because Callie wasn't ready. Would she ever be ready? Did she like Arizona enough to want something more, or was this all she wanted? Was this all they had set out for them? Would they never become something more, something real? Would Callie always be afraid? Callie had said that she'd never felt this way about anyone before, and she initiated a lot of their make out sessions. She'd even invited Arizona round for a romantic dinner. That had to mean something. Right?

"Are you okay? You've gone really quiet, is something wrong?"

Callie's voice, full of concern, broke Arizona out of her train of thought. She glanced up, her eyes meeting those of Callie, who was staring at her full of worry. Arizona immediately plastered a fake smile on her face, her insecurities not quite leaving her.

"I'm fine," she replied, although the look on Callie's face told her that she wasn't fooling anyone. "Honestly, I'm just worried about Dad that's all."

Callie's features immediately softened, apparently buying into Arizona's excuse. "I'm sorry Arizona. Do you want to watch a movie afterwards? Maybe a comedy or something?"

"Sounds good," Arizona replied genuinely. Maybe a little couch snuggling would help ease her fears.

* * *

Callie glanced at Arizona out of the corner her eye as she sat down on the couch. She wasn't entirely sure how Arizona was feeling; she'd been fine when she'd arrived, but at the start of dinner something had changed and her smile had disappeared into a frown. It hadn't been awkward so to speak, but it wasn't exactly comfortable, and Callie wasn't sure how to help. Sure, her Father had been away for work before, but Arizona's situation was entirely different; her Father's job was dangerous. His life was at risk. And Callie had no experience with that, and therefore had no ideas how to help.

They had decided on watching She's The Man. It had been Callie's idea, as she knew the movie was loosely based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and Arizona would most likely like it, especially as it turned out the blonde hadn't seen it. She hoped it took her mind off whatever was bothering her.

Arizona moved closer to her the moment Callie was seated comfortably and the movie had started, something Callie was pleased about. She thought about it for a moment, before raising her arm and placing it around Arizona's shoulders, pulling the older girls weight into her own body. A sigh escaped Arizona's lips as she snuggled into Callie's body, her arm slipping around Callie's waist and her head dropping onto Callie's shoulder. Callie smiled, pulling the warm body further into her own. This was more comfortable.

The movie played, Arizona occasionally chuckling. Callie felt the soft vibrations against her, and smiled. Maybe something was working in cheering the cheerleader up as she had hoped, even something as simple as a few stupid puns or comic faces. Callie laughed too. She had actually never known until recently that the movie was based on Shakespeare's play, but watching it now she could definitely see it.

When the movie was about half away through, Callie felt Arizona shift, and she raised her head to see what the other girl was doing; it appeared her arm had gone stiff and she needed to move it, and Callie watched as the limb stretched and flexed. Arizona then turned her head towards Callie, her stunning blue eyes drawing Callie in straight away. Callie loved Arizona's eyes, probably more than she would admit. They were always so clear and enticing, and she felt as though she could look into them forever.

She had been looking into Arizona's eyes so intently that she hadn't realised that the other girl's head was moving towards her own. It was only as Arizona's eyes drifted shut that she realised the close proximity, and she closed her own in response, just as Arizona's soft, caressing lips met hers.

The kiss started off tentative, almost unsure. It was like it was a first kiss, which was absurd as Callie had kissed Arizona countless times. However, the moment Arizona felt Callie respond, pressing her own body into that of the other girl's, Arizona appeared to let go of whatever was holding back and let her body be fueled by her passion.

Callie felt Arizona kick back, her body leaning back to rest on the arm of the couch, her arms pulling Callie down on top of her. Callie awkwardly held herself up, not wanting to crush the body of the smaller girl below her, but Arizona wouldn't take it; she continued to have a tight grip on Callie's body, not releasing until Callie relented and let her body cover that of the girl beneath her. It felt different, feeling her breasts against Arizona's, feeling as though they were connected in almost every way possible, despite the fact that they were still wearing clothes. She felt Arizona's hands trace her sides, slipping to grasp onto her hips, giving them a small squeeze. The touch made her groan. Arizona's lips slid off her lips, and down her neck, placing open mouthed kisses along the expanse of exposed skin. Callie growled loudly, moving her head to one side, allowing Arizona more room to continue her exploration. Callie's own hands gripped on Arizona's waist, the effect Arizona had on her leaving her with little ability to do much else.

Arizona kissed her way back up Callie's neck, reclaiming her lips in a heated embrace. Callie felt heat settle in her stomach, and she pressed further, suddenly needing to feel more. Arizona's hands slid from Callie's hips, and moved towards her back, shifting down to cup her ass and give a gentle squeeze. The action was almost too much for Callie, and Arizona's confidence in exploring led to Callie wanting to do some more exploring of her own. She wanted to make Arizona moan the way Arizona had made her moan. She wanted to make the blonde whimper, and relish in the idea that she had made those sounds. Regaining use of her arms, Callie put one hand at the back of Arizona's neck, holding her in place and she captured Arizona's bottom lip in between both of her own and sucked. Using her other hand, she traced the hem of Arizona's shirt, before slipping inside and onto the toned abs she had been daydreaming about earlier in the day. Somehow she managed to recall how Arizona had giggled the last time she had brushed her ribs, and made sure she avoided that, not wanting to interrupt their intimate embrace. She shifted, her hand moving up Arizona's stomach until she reached the underside of the blonde's breast. Catiously, she traced the tip of Arizona's bra, before allowing her fingers to gently brush the flesh she had never touched before. The action caused Arizona to bite down heavily on Callie's lip, but the pain did nothing to stop Callie from her course of action. Arizona gripped onto Callie's ass harder, her crotch grinding up against Callie's in an attempt to get a small amount of friction. Callie couldn't help but moan loudly into Arizona's mouth at the sensation, and with that, she wanted more. She wanted Arizona naked, writhing in pleasure beneath her. She wanted no clothes, nothing barring herself from Arizona's skin on her skin.

And that thought made her stop. Because she had never done anything like that before. And that was scary.

Callie pulled back, and looked down at the blonde beneath her. Arizona was panting heavily, her eyes still shut. Her lips were heavily bruised from Callie's kisses, her chest moving at a quick pace.

"Why'd you stop?" Arizona asked a minute later, as her eyes finally opened. They were still that dark shade of blue that Callie had grown to realise signified Arizona's arousal, and Callie only felt the heat in her stomach triple.

But the nerves were also present.

"I've never.. had sex before," Callie mumbled awkwardly, her eyes dropping Arizona's. "Not even with a guy."

"Well, that's something we have in common," Arizona replied straight away, her voice holding a teasing nature. "I've never had sex with a guy either."

"I'm serious," Callie sighed, pushing herself up and away from Arizona's body, settling at the other end of the couch, putting space between her and Arizona. "I've never gone past kissing someone, and even that never got very far."

"Okay?" Arizona said, her tone questioning, as she too sat up. Callie could see the confusion behind her light blue eyes. "We were only making out Callie, I wasn't expecting you to have sex with me, least of all on your parents couch."

Callie couldn't tell for sure, but Arizona sounded almost put out as she said the last part.

"I know it's just.. I don't know if I'm ready really for _that_. And you've been with a lot of girls and I've heard a lot of things about that and-"

"What?!"

 _Crap, shit, wrong thing to say. Fuck._

"I just mean-"

"Are you calling me a slut?" Arizona's tone was hard, cold. The arousal was gone from her eyes in an instant, and instead was replaced with an ice glare.

"No!" Callie said quickly, holding her hands up. "Of course not! I'm not saying that at all."

"Except a little bit you are," Arizona snapped, folding her arms across her chest, her eyes not lessening in their sharp glare.

"Arizona-"

"No offence Callie, but if all I was after was sex you wouldn't be the first person I'd go to."

The sharp tone, and the use of her shortened name made Callie recoil. Not to mention the words Arizona had used. Was Arizona not sexually attracted to her? Was that it? She would rather sleep with someone else?

"Then go to your first choice," Callie finally answered, despite the feeling of dread in her stomach.

Her words made Arizona laugh out loud, but her laughter wasn't fuelled by happiness. "You ARE my first choice, Callie. That's the problem. I am _so_ in this, and I don't even know why. This isn't going anywhere at all, or so it seems. It's stationary. And before you jump to any conclusions, I am not talking about sex. Because despite the image your head has painted of me, I can control myself and my sexual desires. Because despite what you think, I do not sleep with everything that moves."

The blonde stood from the couch, making a beeline for the front door as she finished her short speech, and Callie felt her heart clench because she was sure she saw tears in Arizona's eyes.

"Arizona!" She called out, feeling like an idiot and wanting to correct her mistakes.

But the door slammed, and the blonde was gone.

* * *

Arizona lay on her bed. It was about 5 in the afternoon, and she was feeling pretty pathetic. She had blown up at Callie for _no_ reason. She had completely overreacted. And now she felt like an utter loser.

Of course, Callie's choice of words hadn't been the best. Not at all. But now that she had calmed down and could reflect on what had happened before she had stormed out, Arizona could tell she had completely taken the situation out of context.

And so she felt stupid.

She knew she needed to text Callie. She knew she needed to make it right. It wasn't fair on Callie for her to blow up like that just because of her own insecurities. It wasn't fair at all. Callie was still finding herself, and while it was hard for Arizona to know what they were or where they were going, she knew it was even worse for Callie. And she had not acted supportive at all, but rather the opposite. She had acted like a bitch. She knew Callie was scared. She knew that. And she knew Callie was just being honest.

So yeah. She'd been a bitch. And had probably ruined everything.

"Arizona, dear, you okay?" Her Mother asked as she opened the door.

"Fine," Arizona muttered, not bothering to sit up. "Perfectly fine."

"That's good," Barbara replied, apparently ignoring her daughters poor mood. "We're going to go out for dinner tonight with one of my friends, so be ready in about an hours time. Look nice."

"What friend?" Arizona replied, frowning. She really didn't feel like going out. Especially not that night.

"Helen, she.." Her Mother trailed off, talking about something to do with her friend, but Arizona didn't really pay attention. Instead her mind drifted to Callie again.

Urgh.

"So is that okay?"

"Fine," Arizona replied, tuning back into the conversation. Fine.

At about quarter to 6, Arizona decided she should get ready, even though she felt like crying and listening to break up songs. Could she really if she wasn't exactly going through a break up? She thought yes.

She pulled on a jumper dress, and a pair of tights, and lightly did her makeup. In contrast to the night before, she got ready quick. It wasn't as though she was trying to impress anyone after all. She'd probably spend the night sulking into her food. Why did she need to go anyway? Why did they need to go at all? Wasn't it weird to go out with everything going on? And did her Mother even like Helen that much? She wasn't under the impression that she did.

The doorbell rang, and Arizona frowned. Her Mother hadn't mentioned they were going to be picked up. Leaving her room, and walking down the stairs, her frown grew larger as she saw her Mother wasn't in sight.

"Mom?" She called.

No answer.

Huffing, Arizona decided she better answer the door herself, and she reached forward to open it up.

"Hi Helen, I-"

The words died on Arizona's lips as she realised that middle aged nurse Helen was _not_ the person standing on her doorstep. Instead, Callie stood there, awkwardly holding a single red rose. Arizona could see the faint blush on Callie's cheeks, could read the nervousness set in Callie's eyes. But despite that, she seemed determined about something.

"Callie-"

"No," Callie interrupted, cutting her off straight away. "No. Let me talk. I am so, _so_ sorry for last night. I never meant to imply that you were a slut, I was just expressing why I was scared and I know now that made me sound like a right bitch. So I'm sorry. But more importantly Arizona I.." Callie trailed off, apparently getting to the part of her speech that she was most nervous about.

"Calliope," Arizona breathed, allowing Callie's full name to fall from her lips. The singular word seemed to give Callie back the confidence she needed, and she said quickly five more words. Words Arizona had not been expecting.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Arizona stood shocked, her mouth dropping open. What? The hell? Was she dreaming. Had Callie really asked her that? She had been sure she'd blown it and now?

"I'm in this. And I know you are too," Callie continued, taking Arizona's silence as an indication that she needed more. "And I'm scared but I want to move forward. I want to hold your hand in the street. I want to kiss you before class. I want everyone to know you're mine because I want you to be mine. I want to make you happy. And I know it's been hard for you as well. I do. And it's not going to be easy, but I want you. And this might seem like it's come all of a sudden but I want you. I want you. So much. And I might not be ready for my parents to know but _I'm_ not afraid. So will you? Will you go to dinner with me? And be my girlfriend?"

Arizona's heart was soaring, and she couldn't help it as a smile broke out over her face. This was all she wanted. To call Callie hers.

"Yes! Yes, yes, Calliope, yes."

Callie handed her the rose, relief flashing across her features, before stepping closer to her, her own smile wide and bright. She planted a short kiss on Arizona's lips before pulling back.

Arizona heard a hum from behind her, and she turned around, seeing how her Mother stood behind her in her pyjamas, watching them with a smile on her face. She also had a certain glint in her eye. So much for a dinner with Helen.

But Arizona found that she didn't care. Because Calliope Torres? Calliope Torres was her girlfriend.

* * *

 _A/N: I hope that was worth the wait, even thought I feel like it sucks :/ I promise I'll update more! Next up: Callie and Arizona explore their new found status, and Callie can't help but feel slightly insecure._


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